Fading Shadows
by Blue1272000
Summary: After two mysterious deaths, ThunderClan becomes divided and sides are set up. Lines are drawn, crossed, and redrawn. As a new leader struggles to keep her Clan together through the dangerous moons, a little cat is working her magic in the faded shadows of memory... Sequel to 'Blue Shadows.'
1. Prologue

**Well, hello! This is my sequel to 'Blue Shadows' The prologue takes place the night after the fight between (Spoiler Alert) Brightslash and Blueshadow. Although this story is mostly made for the fans of 'Blue Shadows' who I felt deserved a better conclusiosn then 'Blue Shadows' with all those loose-ends hanging about, this is independent enough that it is not necessary to have read 'Blue Shadows' to understand this story. So, on to the story!**

**Prologue **

Silverstar narrowed her eyes, scanning over the heartbroken Clan. The loss of Blueshadow and Brightslash, the two most admired warriors gone in the same day, killing each other in what had seemed to be a brutal battle, weighed heavy on every cat.

Silverstar sincerely believed that Blueshadow had snapped. But somehow, she just couldn't picture the slightly obnoxious, bossy, irritable, skillful, respected, adventurous, fool-hardy, and head-strong deputy as a murderer.

Silverstar shook her confused head, _she killed Pinestar, didn't she? And Pricklenose? Ferretclaw and Thornclaw as well? But she had her reasons for every one of those… even if they weren't the best. What reason did she have for killing Brightslash?_ The only thing she could think of was that she'd guessed she was going to give her deputy position to Brightslash…

Silverstar shivered, it didn't make sense! Blueshadow wasn't ambitions for power! The only thing that had ever driven her was to be unbeatable! She'd always hated defeat, and she'd always hated bullies, ever since she was a kit.

Silverstar closed her eyes, picturing all too easily the defiant, fragile, little Bluekit, staring at her with those translucent eyes that flashed with anger and frustration, with a hint of misery in the deep depths. That misery had steadily changed as Bluekit grew older, to Bluepaw and then the infamous Blueshadow. It had changed to a haunted trapped look, as if she couldn't escape from something that only she knew of.

Silverstar wasn't as much as a fool as Blueshadow had thought, she'd known her deputy had been mates with Greystar, then Thornclaw, then Greystar again before turning to Whitefoot and back to Greystar. Losing every single one of the cats she loved so much. She knew that Marshclaw, the ShadowClan deputy, was her kit, knew they had a special bond that was connected in a way that was unseen in the waking world.

Silverstar sighed, staring at Shadowpaw, the small black apprentice was pressed against her brother who was shivering, silently sitting vigil for their lost mother. Why would Blueshadow snap now? She'd suffered enough to go mad long before she became deputy, but she'd never spoken a word of self-pity, taking her sufferings up for herself to bear alone for her decisions. I'd been admirable and the only reason Silverstar had allowed her to be deputy.

And how was Brightslash over near the gorge? Blueshadow left the returning gathering patrol passing near the gorge, but she'd had no time to go back to camp, so why was Brightslash out so early, and over there? It was hardly ever visited except for patrols.

Silverstar glanced up at the stars, their death was dark and a black fog had seemed to cover the Clan since. No sharing tongues, every cat staying to themselves, sharp and suspicious glances, distrust elevated in just a day. Now the soothing light of the moon seemed to have calmed some nerves, but the distrust was so strong she could almost see it.

Silverstar got to her paws stiffly and limped over to Stoneheart, Blueshadow's brother. Her old stiff limbs were aching from the long trek to the gathering the night before. She'd never imagined it'd be the last one she attended with Blueshadow.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but if my suspicions are true, then its best she died," Silverstar murmured.

Stoneheart shot a cold glare up at her from where he was crouched. Then he dropped it, not wanting to offend his elderly leader. "Blueshadow wasn't crazy, she was many things, but not crazy," Stoneheart muttered, his paling muzzle and gray eyes looked silver in the moonlight.

Silverstar sighed and padded over to Breezeice and Sunstrike, the parents of Brightslash. Their eyes were glazed with grief, though Breezeice retained her icy look as she spotted her coming over. "I'm sorry for your loss, Brightslash was a promising, young warrior," she murmured.

Breezeice nodded curtly, looking as if she was trying to keep her sorrow together. But Sunstrike stood up and pushed his muzzle into her shoulder, seemingly to take comfort from his leader. Silverstar purred gently at the former rogue. Then padded on.

She continued giving words of sympathy to the grieving cats. She finally stopped by Shadowpaw, the black apprentice glanced up at her, her green eyes full of nightmarish memories and a haunted look hung around her like a dark mist.

Silverstar frowned, what had so devastated her? Losing her mother was hard, but that didn't account for her fear and distrustful looks. "Blueshadow loved you, no matter what her actions may have been," Silverstar murmured.

In an instant, Shadowpaw was on her paws, her fur fluffed up and her green eyes glaring, they were dark green, like pines in leaf-bare, not Blueshadow's several shaded ones.

"My mother never did anything wrong! She was braver and more loyal then any other cat! Especially Brightslash! Brightslash-" Shadowpaw broke off from her heated tirade abruptly, her eyes fixing for a moment on something past Silverstar. Then she shut her mouth, her jaws set in a hard line and sat back down next to her littermate.

Silverstar looked over her shoulder, confused. She didn't see anything, though for a heartbeat she thought she saw a flicker of familiar dark blue-gray fur. Disturbed, she headed over to the Highrock, not even trying to leap up, she knew she'd never make it without help.

_ Blueshadow usually helped me,_ she thought, her heart trembling as she thought of her loyal deputy, always keeping the Clan together in hardship, seeing it through harsh leaf-bares and tough fights… Was she making a mistake by looking at Blueshadow as a crazed murderer? As that being what she was remembered as? What if Blueshadow was innocent…

No! Brightslash was a perfectly loyal cat, never deceived her Clan, never hated a Clan-mate. It must have been Blueshadow! But doubt flickering in her stubborn thoughts and she sighed. She padded over to Foxtail, the russet warrior was pressed against his mate, Lightfoot.

Lightfoot's eyes were glazed with pain. "Blueshadow is the reason why I was ever able to be a warrior, she helped me learn to fight and hunt when no other cat would… She was my best friend all my life," Lightfoot was murmuring.

Foxtail was nodding, a somber look on his face. "I loved her, for a long time, and we had kits…" Something flashed in Foxtail's gaze as he spoke the lie, Silverstar knew that he had just pretended to be the father for Blueshadow.

Silverstar cleared her throat, "Foxtail, a word, please?" she mewed quietly.

Foxtail nodded and slid from Lightfoot's side, looking oddly subdued. _I thought he'd moved on… but apparently he never fully stopped loving Blueshadow…_ Silverstar couldn't think of that now, of all Blueshadow had meant to so many cats.

"I want you to lead an investigation into the deaths, see if you can determine who killed who, set the Clan's mind at rest," she murmured.

Foxtail nodded, his amber eyes flashing with delight, _he wants to prove Blueshadow's innocence… I almost hope he does._ "I'll do it," he promised.

Silverstar nodded, "You have two days to do it, then we will have to decide and set the Clan at rest in their wonderings," she murmured, her old voice rasping.

Foxtail nodded, sliding down back besides Lightfoot. Silverstar drew in a breath and turned her gaze over the grieving cats. There was just one more thing for her to do before moon-high….

She padded back beneath Highrock, just outside its shadow. "Cats of ThunderClan!" she called, "It is time to appoint a new deputy!" she called.

The cats, already gathered, just rose to their paws and stared at her, every cat had come out to grieve one of the two cats. "StarClan," she rose her eyes to the multitude of lights in the sky, "I name this cat as deputy in view of your spirits, so that you may hear and approve my choice," she hesitated, there were two cats left that Blueshadow had trained for the job, now she just had to pick one…

"Stormsky, you will be the next deputy of ThunderClan" Silverstar announced, her eyes fixing on the smoky blue she-cat.

Stormsky looked up, the joy in her eyes tempered by grief for her mother. Her gray smudged fur gleamed in the moonlight and her dark green eyes glowed as she padded to her, her long legs and slick pelt with her round, flat face was what differed her from Blueshadow.

"I accept, I promise to serve ThunderClan as best I can," she vowed, truth vibrating through her voice. Her name was called from the less effected cats by the death, and Stormsky was greeted by her littermates as she padded back to them.

Snowshade purred, "You'll be an amazing deputy! Even if you do turn into a bossy old fur-ball," Snowshade purred, head-butting her sister's shoulder gently.

Silverstar nodded with satisfaction, Blueshadow's memory was fading, the investigation would satisfy the Clans, and a strong new deputy was in place, ready to take over the Clan when she left for StarClan. _Yes, the shadows of deceit are fading, and now light can come in._

But then she met Shadowpaw's dark, narrowed gaze and she shivered. Did Blueshadow live on in this apprentice? And if so, was the Clan going to be continually covered with shadows? Never to see the bright sunlight that was blocked out with Brightslash's death? _I just hope I'm wrong about the whole thing…_ And she sat down and sat vigil for her deputy and warrior until the sun's dawning light appeared.

**...**

**So, this was a little more attached to 'Blue Shadows; then the other chapters should be. Ahem, so, basically, I have certain rules for reviewing.  
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**No swearing or cussing about anything, I don't like those words. I appreciate constructive criticism, but nothing to do with the plot-line, the plot will be how I want it, though I do occasionally adapt reviewers ideas into my story. I would also like to add that a lot of people ask to have their cats in my stories, so please don't give me cats unless I ask for them, I always have trouble turning people down. **

**Also, if anyone(though I doubt it'll happen) decides to flame, I cannot be responsible for any insults I throw back at you. I really do handle those things like a child, you insult me, I insult you right back until I get bored and decide you're not worth my thought. **

**That was probably a very unnecessary two paragraphs, but whatever! Please Review! :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello! wow, already 20 reviews after the prologue?! thanks guys! **

**REVIEWS. This is gonna take awhile...**

**"I Am Basic"- I'm not sure even the FBI could solve it ;)**

**"Starburst768"- Thanks! it took awhile to come up with the different plot-line, but I managed it!**

**"Leviathan48"- Thank you!**

**"Wyldclaw"- Yeah, but then there wouldn't be need for a story. Things have to be difficult!**

**Dawnfeather- Thanks!**

**Frostfoot228- Thank you!**

**none- neither can I!**

**"pianodevotion"- Definitely ;) I'm so weird, I like ranting about things, usually my rants have lots of insults. **

**"Crowstar54"- Yeah, but that was four moons after Blueshadow died, the prologue was the night she died, this chapter is four moons after she died. **

**"feather of jay"- No, I don't think so. Her story is over, but there will be a variety of POV's**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- I updated!**

**"EmebrskyofShadowclan"- Glad you're happy!**

**secret feathers- Yeah, but this story will come to an end eventually as well. And then we all have to get back to our lives. Or, I do at least**

**AEIOU- Yeah, the prologue was shorter then most my chapters so it was easy to write quickly. And nice summary by the way, I almost want to use it..**

**Mouseydragonwolf- Yay! **

**Rainbow- Thanks! and Shadowpaw will be the main POV, but I will have several other's on occasion. **

**"scourge728"- I hope so!**

**Human- Thanks!**

**Hazelfrost- Well,t hen I hope you like this chapter!**

**"NyanNyan-suru"- Yep, even after telling myself there was no need for a sequel... well, it seems I made a need for a sequel. **

**Chapter 1**

Shadowpaw slipped through the undergrowth. The cold air had a warming tinge to it as she raced through the snowy forest, the warm tinge was also moist. _Leaf-bare is going to drop more snow soon…_ Her black paws flashed along the white ground, her lungs burned, but she raced along, checking the shadow on the ground that soared by her.

Her paws were numb with cold and so were her ears as the frosty air whistled by her. She skidded to an abrupt halt as she came to the edge of the territory, the Thunderpath, that lay flat black at her paws and roared with the throaty roars of the Monsters, stretched endlessly in both directions.

She purred as the owl's shadow she'd been racing against past over her and swooped into ShadowClan's dark territory. She'd beaten the owl. Now she just needed to out-race a fox…

"Shadowpaw!" she jumped at the sharp mew of her mentor. Turning, she faced the flustered and nervous gaze of Harespring and she shuffled her paws.

"What are you doing so close to the Thunderpath? You could have been killed!" Harespring burst out, hustling her away with his tail.

"I knew where I was and I stopped in time," Shadowpaw retorted, bitter that he'd interrupted her sense of triumph. _I know he'd never let me race a fox…_

Harespring, although a great mentor, was a little too worrisome for her. It'd been fine at first, and she'd appreciated his gentle rules as she stumbled around the large territory. But now she was four moons into her training and could manage just fine on her own for awhile.

But she followed him mutinously and without protesting as he led her toward camp, her eyes fixed on his pale brown tail. She noticed the shadows lengthening and realized it was almost dusk. She leaped carefully down the ravine, struggling to keep her small paws from slipping on the icy stone.

She trotted into camp and broke away from Harespring immediately. "We'll do battle-training tomorrow!" he called. Shadowpaw twitched her ear to show she'd heard, but continued over to the apprentice's den.

It was just her at the moment. Deerleap's kits were only four moons old and the other apprentices had become warriors. _Almost all of them,_ sorrow stung her as she thought of Leafpaw, Stormsky's former apprentice. The brown she-cat, who's fur was dappled with soft cream spots like milky clouds at dawn, had died of green-cough earlier in the season, dying just before her final assessment.

And then her brother, Whitepaw, was training as a medicine-cat and slept in the medicine-cat den. She still found it funny how he'd been born pure white, but now was a pale gray with stone gray tabby stripes.

She sighed and flopped down on her belly just outside her den, observing the Clan. She shivered, the Clan had changed so much since she'd become an apprentice. Sweetspot had died of some odd sickness a moon into her training, and her father, Whitefoot, had died from green-cough with Leafpaw.

The sorrow hung around her mind, turning the future dark and bleak, with no friends and family to share it with. Even Whitepaw was distant, the secrets of StarClan tangled between them whenever they tried to talk.

Then the three senior warrior; Foxtail, Lightfoot, and Stoneheart, her mother's brother, had become elders. It wouldn't be long before her half sisters and brother, Mossleaf, Redsky, and Gorseclaw joined them. She still found it odd that she had kin so old…

But then, Blueshadow had been all over the place, something going on at all times. Or so she was told. Her mother had never told her much about her life, and she was dead so there was nowhere to ask. In fact, none of the Clan knew much about Blueshadow's life, maybe that was why so many cats thought she was a murderer.

Shadowpaw dug her claws into the ground and a growl rose in her throat. She _knew_ Blueshadow wasn't a murderer, she'd seen the fight with her own eyes. Brightslash had wanted to kill Blueshadow, had wanted to take over all the Clans. Blueshadow had saved the Clans from a dangerous cat, and every cat thought she was a murderer.

Though that wasn't entirely true, much of the Clan was divided on who had killed who. The older part of the Clan flat out refused to believe any nonsense about Blueshadow, as did all her many kits. Even after Foxtail had led an investigation that had ended with the conclusion of Blueshadow being the murderer.

But many of the young cats, who didn't know Blueshadow well, but had known Brightslash well, refused to believe that Brightslash could have done something so despicable. Folly their ignorance.

It had divided the Clan and had caused cats to pick and choose sides. Stormsky was having trouble keeping the balance, with Silverstar so frail in her den, she was the only head for the Clan, and since she sided with Blueshadow… Needless to say she was only popular with half the Clan.

Shadowpaw sighed, Blueshadow had asked her to keep the secret, not wanting the Clan to be divided. But that had happened anyways, so there didn't seem to be much point in her secret anymore. Except if she spoke out now she'd be seen as a witness by half the clan and a liar by the other half. Things were just too difficult.

"Hey! Teach me a fighting move!" a squeaky voice called in her ear. She flickered her eyes to the side to see Deerleap's three kits. It was Rockkit who had spoken, his stocky little body was covered with slick dark brown fur, almost exactly like Deerleap except that his fur was short, not long.

The other two kits, Cloudkit, a fluffy gray and white tom with wide, pale yellow eyes stared at her pleadingly. And the last kit, Nightkit, the only she-cat, held her dark gray, almost black, tail curled over her back. Her dark green eyes drifted around, as if she wasn't really paying attention.

She sighed, her limbs ached from hunting all morning and caring for the elders, then running around all afternoon after moving shadows. "I'm tired just now," her mew muffled as she yawned. "Maybe tomorrow," she murmured, rolling onto her back.

Rockkit huffed with annoyance, but didn't protest as he led his littermates back over to the nursery, soon falling to a game of tossing snow at his siblings. Shadowpaw scratched her head on the ground thoughtfully.

What could she do to clear Blueshadow's name? Did she even care? Yes, not for Blueshadow's sake so much as but for her own. Too many cats on Brightslash's side thought she was like Blueshadow's living shadow. They didn't welcome her to eat with them, hunt or patrol with them, unless Stormsky specifically put them on a patrol together.

That was difficult, since all the young cats were on Brightslash's side. With the exception of her brother and the kits, she was without friends. Oh, and for Crystalheart. She was also her friend. Heck, the former rogue was every cat's friend.

Crystalheart had joined the Clan the day after Blueshadow had died. That was the only other thing Blueshadow had asked of her before she died. At first, she'd been confused at why the rogue had been on Blueshadow's mind. Sure, she'd been thankful for when the rogue helped her in the twolegplace when she'd been a kit, but to bring her into the Clan…

It hadn't taken long for Shadowpaw to make to connection. Crystalheart was so much like Blueshadow, the only difference was that Crystalheart was more popular and more friendly and connected to the Clan. But her snappy, commanding personality and dry humor was almost like Blueshadow was still there.

Crystalheart also profoundly stayed completely neutral in the divisions. Though she'd admitted that she would side with Blueshadow if she had to. But she didn't want to judge something that had little evidence in either direction. Shadowpaw thought the Clan would do well to take after her opinion.

She could see the yellow and white she-cat now, her sky-blue eyes gleaming with laughter as she joshed around with Aspenclaw and Patchear. Nettlesting coming up from behind to join, but Aspenclaw snarled something at him and Nettlesting coolly passed by with an icy glance at Aspenclaw. Crystalheart glared at the two toms and murmured something to Nettlesting that made his eyes brighten.

Shadowpaw sighed, Nettlesting sided with his mother, Aspenclaw and Patchear with Brightslash. That's how it was. Shadowpaw glanced at Rosering, a young white she-cat with a ginger ringed tail who had been Brightslash's closest friend.

Obviously, Rosering had taken her friend's side, and Nettlesting, who she loved, had taken Blueshadow's. Now they were hardly able to talk to each other without some cat barging in to drag one of them away from talking to an 'accomplice of a murderer.'

Shadowpaw wondered if any cat noticed that the divisions were weakening ThunderClan. Although they hadn't had any trouble from the other Clans in a while, save a little patrol fight when Aspenclaw, then Aspenpaw, crossed the border accidentally.

But it wouldn't be long before things escalated to a dangerous level. ThunderClan couldn't survive with two halves. Sure, it'd eventually fade into the past, but what would happen in the meantime?

"Shadowpaw! The elders are starving to be fed while you're laying around like a useless lump of fur," she glared up at, surprise, surprise, Flameclaw. A Brightslash supporter.

"If they are so in need, then couldn't you bring them something? I'm the only apprentice right now," Shadowpaw grumbled, her paws still aching.

The cuff he gave her was sharp, his claws slightly slid out. She glared up at him more heatedly, and he glared down coldly. "You're the apprentice, do your own duties," Flameclaw snarled, turning away with his tail whipping behind him.

_ That_ was why she wanted to clear Blueshadow's name. To stop cats from acting like that to her. It was getting really annoying. But she heaved herself to her paws and padded to the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a squirrel and two mice from the top of the pile, the prey still warm in her mouth as she padded over to the fallen log where the elders made their den.

Sliding in, she could hear Stoneheart's rumbling snore and Lightfoot's soft voice talking to Foxtail, who grunted sleepily now and then to show he was listening to his mate. They definitely didn't sound like they were starving.

_ He just wanted an excuse to snap at me,_ she thought angrily, heat burning her cold paws. "Here's dinner," she mewed, dropping the prey at Lightfoot's paws. Interrupting her story of how she and Blueshadow once fought off a fox together.

"Oh, thank you Shadowpaw!" Lightfoot purred, her graying muzzle betrayed the she-cat's growing age. "But you are a bit early, we're not that hungry right now," Lightfoot mewed, looking a little surprised.

Shadowpaw shrugged, she didn't usually bring prey until late dusk, which was still awhile off. "Some cat told me you were starving, so I thought it better not to argue," she mewed slowly, struggling not to betray her irritation.

"Did that blood on your ear come from the cat?" Foxtail asked, his amber eyes flicking open as he woke from his doze.

Half-confused, Shadowpaw quickly licked her paw and ran if over her ear. Sure enough, it came back warm and sticky with a smear of red. "I didn't even notice," she muttered, blaming it on the cold which had numbed her ears.

Foxtail flicked his ears, "Who did it?" he asked, pulling the squirrel for him and Lightfoot to share.

"Flameclaw," was the despondent response.

"Is it really getting that bad?" a disgruntled mew spooked her and she looked at Stoneheart who must have been awoken by the scent of prey.

"You have no idea," she muttered. It was nice to talk with cats who were on her side, she wouldn't dare go and eat with the senior warriors, who for the most part were for Blueshadow. And her younger half-siblings didn't seem very interested in her, so it was good to have a break with the elders.

"Well, its going to have to stop, as leaf-bare goes on, the Clan will need to be able to trust each other to survive," Lightfoot mewed, her eyes worried as she chewed on the squirrel.

"Why don't you have some, Shadowpaw?" Stoneheart mewed, nudging the other mouse toward her and tugging the other for himself.

"Oh, its okay, I can get some more," Shadowpaw offered, feeling a little embarrassed by their generosity, though they did it almost every evening.

"Nonsense, there's plenty right here," Foxtail purred, waving his tail, thick as a fox's.

"Well, thank you," Shadowpaw purred, ducking her head to pull at the mouse hungrily. She hadn't eaten since the night before.

After she was done, the sunlight was fading and the shadows strengthening. Shadowpaw hated the night the most, there was always so many shadows, it made her think of her mother… and how much she missed her.

"I-I'm going to go to sleep," Shadowpaw mumbled. The elders gave her a friendly nod of farewell as she started her trek through the shadows to her den.

The shadows, dark blue on the snow, were exactly like Blueshadow's fur… The silver light of the almost full moon set the snow sparkling and glowing on the few crystal flurries that gleamed in the light and drifted off the frosted trees and swirled in the air. The sky remained clear and cold, dotted with countless specks of light, though she could see mounting clouds in the horizon.

"What are you doing still up?" the suspicious growl halted her in her scan of the sky.

"I ate with the elders, and now I'm going to my den. Can you protest that, Leopardberry?" she growled, glaring at the spotted she-cat. _And to think, her mother was Blueshadow's kit! And yet she still sides with Brightslash…_

She continued to hold Leopardberry's sharp green gaze for a moment. "Leave her alone, Leopardberry, she's not doing any harm," the annoyed mew came from behind Shadowpaw.

Shadowpaw glanced at Rivertail, who was glowering at Leopardberry. "Who asked you?" Leopardberry retorted, who swiveled her glare on her only littermate. _At least Rivertail's still loyal to his kin._

"You did, when you started accusing a cat who didn't do anything," Rivertail snarled. The usually calm warrior vibrated with endless fury and frustration.

Leopardberry's only reply was a snort and she swept by her littermate, with a look of cold fury. Though Shadowpaw was perceptive enough to see the anguish that flashed between the two littermates. She realized how awful it must be to not be able to even talk to each other anymore.

She and Whitepaw didn't talk much, but it wasn't because they hated each other. She still felt she could trust her brother above all to help her. Rivertail sighed as Leopardberry's white fur disappeared in the shadows of the warriors den.

"You'd better get along," Rivertail mewed, though he sounded weary and sad.

"I will," Shadowpaw promised, feeling sorry for the torn warrior. "Thank you," she mewed fervently, swishing her tail along his side, wanting him to know how much his support had warmed her.

Rivertail purred and nudged her off gently. Letting her find her way through the shadows of camp and stumble into her den. The air was so cold that she could see her breath and she looked around despondently at the empty den.

Her ears pricked as she heard long, slow breaths. Straining to see in the darkness, she spotted a mound of yellow and white fur and caught a familiar, friendly scent. "Crystalheart?" she whispered in a purr, padding over to her friend.

Crystalheart yawned and stretched, as if she'd been awoken, but the bright gleam of her eyes told Shadowpaw she'd never been asleep. "Oh, hey, Shadowpaw. It was so crowded in the warriors den that I thought I'd get a better night's sleep in here," Crystalheart mewed slyly.

Shadowpaw purred, whatever Crystalheart said, she knew she'd done it just to give her company. Especially since the warriors den had recently been expanded. But that was how Crystalheart was, giving favors while seeming like she was helping herself.

Shadowpaw stretched herself next to Crystalheart's warm fur that drove away the biting chill of the air and she fell asleep with a purr in her throat.

…

When she woke the next morning, Crystalheart was gone, but the nest was still warm, so she'd left only recently. The bright light of dawn was tempered and the light was gray, making her guess that clouds had rolled in on the moist breeze.

Sure enough, the sky was overcast, a few fitful flurries showered down, blown by a stiff breeze that blew bitter cold air into her face. She blinked in surprise as she saw that all the Clan was already out in the clearing.

Stormsky stood on Highrock, her blue fur was smudged with dark gray, her fur looked smooth though her dark green eyes, which matched Shadowpaw's, shone with grief. Shadowpaw's pelt prickled as the musty scent of death drifted to her.

It was a scent she'd never forget. An image of Blueshadow, bleeding and half-drowned flashed in her mind. Those almost unnatural green eyes closing for the last time, never again to see the real light of day. The musty odor of death, which every cat learns to fear, blocking out Blueshadow's usual air of ice and wind.

She forced the horrifying images from her mind as images of the battle threatened to rise. She had to find out who had died, she supposed that's what Stormsky was going to announce. She must have slept through the summons.

"ThunderClan!" Stormsky's call sliced through the cold and silenced the anxious murmuring. "Silverstar died this morning." The deputy's, no, the _leader's_, words were met by stunned silence.

Shadowpaw blinked, she didn't know much about Silverstar, had hardly ever seen the elderly leader except for ceremonies. But she remembered Blueshadow always grumbling over the leader in the nursery.

Suddenly chaos broke out.

"How did she die?"

"Did she die from the cold?"

"Was she attacked?"

"I bet the Blue supporters murdered her!" At that, snarling and yowls of accusations broke out among the cats. Shadowpaw saw Heathersky and Snowshade facing Shrewtail together, a cat they'd grown up with. Their claws unsheathed and the light of battle appearing in their eyes.

"Stop!" Stormsky's yowl froze the impending fight. "Softberry and Whitepaw says that she died of old-age. Remember, Silverstar was one of the oldest cat in all the Clans," Stormsky mewed. The natural death smoothed some ruffled fur. But the suspicious glances persisted.

_ Where did all the trust go? When I was born, every cat would have been shocked by this distrust, but its definitely reality…_ She looked around suddenly, her fur tingling, though she didn't know why. Stormsky was announcing she was going to receive her nine lives, nothing that concerned her.

Suddenly she spotted what she must have sensed somehow. There, in the shadows of the gorse entrance, stood a small dark blue she-cat, her shape nothing but a silhouette, though her shaded green eyes sparkled clear with a dark look of disappointment, her long plumy tail curled at her side. The tip, which had always been broken in real life, twitched at the end.

Then Shadowpaw blinked, the cat vanished, and so did the sensation. She turned back to the meeting which was breaking up. She hung her head, ignoring the suspicious glances shot at her. She couldn't shake the disappointment in her mother's eyes from her mind.

_ I'm sorry, Blueshadow, even though you didn't want it, your death is killing your Clan. Even though its not your fault… and there's nothing I can do about it… or is there?_

**...**

**I just realized... I haven't done the allegiances yet. Idiot! memo to me, do allegiances next chapter. So, this chapter kind of mostly gave the setting of the clan at the moment... something rather important in my opinion. **

**Okay, so... Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello! I'd meant to update this yesterday, but it was Thanksgiving, so I never got around to it! Not that I'm late in updating or anything... usually wouldn't have updated till the weekend. **

**REVIEWS**

**"Crowstar54"- Nope! And HER death is dividing the Clan and thus rotting it from the core, killing it. **

**Rainbo 0- That's how you signed it... And, if you want to see Stormstar's leader ceremony, you can go the the epilogue in Blueshadow's. Its int he third section. **

**Human- No, Brightslash never was looking for a mate. **

**"scourge728"- Thanks!**

**"walkswithwheels"- Maybe, we know that something will happen anyways.**

**"I Am Basic"- Yeah...**

**"Crystalheart"- Yeah! and thanks for letting me use Crystalheart! its actually a nice change to write a good supportive character! **

**"ShadowQuest2000"- Thank you!**

**"pianodevotion"- Thanks! and I really do enjoy insulting flamers more then I should ;)**

**Sunfire- Yeah, they are annoying, but you can kind of see where there point is. They didn't know she was evil, so why hate her? and Brightslash never hated any cat but blueshadow... I'm so weird, giving excuses to the enemy. **

**AEIOU- Never! I won't ever abandon a story! unless I die... that would complicate things a bit. But that probably won't happen, so lets not think of it! And some cats are like that, as we see in this chapter, but you know, the Clans are very stubborn-minded cats...**

**Mouseydragonwolf- Yeah, that's why I like the idea! and I don't know, there may be a love interest, but I don't think it'll be a big point in the story. **

**"Frostdawn"- Thanks!**

**Fallen- Thanks! and that's exactly what I had in mind... kind of. **

**Shadowhawk- Good! internet is a good thing! I hate losing it... **

**Dawnfeather- Yeah, and some cat's gonna fix it, whether its Shadowpaw or not, I don't even know!**

**"Starburst768"- Thanks! and I updated!**

**Chapter 2**

Shadowpaw rolled over onto her back. The weak sunlight soaking into her thick black fur. She laid near the apprentices den, thinking as she often did. Only four days had passed since Stormsky, now Stormstar, had returned from the Moonstone with Softberry.

The new deputy, Lionclaw, who was also the most senior warrior along with his remaining sister, Willowfrost, had taken charge of his new duties. Although the gray hairs starting to speckle his muzzle told Shadowpaw he only had a few good moons before he turned his thoughts to the elders den.

She remembered what she'd been told about Lionclaw's birth, Blueshadow, then Bluepaw, had helped Sweetspot who had wandered out of camp and helped carried the kits back. Shadowpaw thought of Sweetspot, the friendly elder who'd died. The tortoiseshell certainly hadn't seemed to have a strong connection with her kits, though Shadowpaw also remembered that one of her dead daughters, uh… Graycloud, had been Blueshadow's first apprentice.

It seemed that every cat was connected to Blueshadow in some way. Goldenmist's mate was one of Shadowpaw's deceased half-siblings. Eaglefeather had been raised by Blueshadow after her mother left the Clan. Feathershine had been Blueshadow's apprentice. And Rosering, Robinspot, and Flameclaw were the kits of Blueshadow's former mate and best friend! Redsky, Mossleaf, and Gorseclaw being their half-siblings!

Shadowpaw briefly wondered who'd fathered the other litter; Snowshade, Stormstar, Heathersky, and Nettlesting. At the time, it had seemed Foxtail, but now it didn't seem so. He'd really only been attached to Nettlesting and Heathersky…

Shadowpaw thought hard for a moment, their was a secret here, she knew there was, but she couldn't imagine what it might be and wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. Then she rolled on her back, thinking how strange that the Clan was so related yet cats became mates with each other all the time. She was positive that ever single cat in the clearing shared blood, except for Crystalheart and Sunstrike who'd been rogues.

But that was how ThunderClan, how all the Clans were. Even if it was a little weird. _Just don't think about it so much,_ a voice told her. She sighed and rolled herself into a lazy crouch.

It was nearing sun-high and she was waiting for Harespring to get back from patrol. He'd left her the morning to hunt, and she'd finished a while ago, but was anxious to get to the battle-training which he'd promised her later.

"Lazy lump," the muttered jibe reached her ears as the cat padded past, but she ignored Adderfang. He had always been annoying to the younger cats.

She paused, trying to remember who his family was and if he was connected to Blueshadow. _He is, right? Voleear, one of my half-siblings, was his father? I think. Yeah! His littermate was a cat named Morningmist and his mother is Goldenmist!_

Happy that she could remember, she instantly felt depressed. _More kin to Blueshadow that wasn't loyal. _Her heart felt heavy, but Harespring was padding to her and she had to concentrate.

"We're going hunting," Harespring announced.

Shadowpaw's fur bristled, "But you said that we were going to do battle-training!" she protested.

"Well, Lionclaw ordered a group of warriors to practice, so we don't have the hollow," Harespring mewed.

Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes, Lionclaw had given no such order. "Don't lie to me, just say that you changed your mind," she snapped, brushing past him with a snort. She headed out of the camp and up the ravine, waiting for Harespring on the small round clearing at the top that was covered with icy white snow.

The cold wind buffeted her black fur which she'd fluffed up, though it failed to block out the biting wind. At least the sun was warm, there would be prey out today.

Finally, Harespring caught up, sitting down besides her for a moment and gazing out over the forest with a thoughtful look in his blue eyes. His white tufted ears waving in the wind.

Suddenly she felt an impulse to know something. "Do you support Blueshadow or Brightslash?" Shadowpaw demanded. Her mentor had refused along with his sister, Goldenmist, to pick a side.

Harespring blinked thoughtfully, his face creasing in a slight frown. "I don't know. I can't imagine Blueshadow doing that, I knew her for a long time. But Brightslash was a young warrior, she had nothing to fear from Blueshadow. Not even for her ambition, every cat knew Blueshadow was going to retire in a few moons," Harespring murmured.

"But then why?!" Shadowpaw cried. Even though she knew what had really happened, she didn't know why. Why did Brightslash attack Blueshadow? It would have made more sense if Blueshadow had attacked Brightslash to keep her from taking over the clans. But it'd been _Brightslash_ who had attacked.

She shifted on her paws and Harespring sighed. "I don't like the distrust in the Clan. I just don't understand how Clan-mates can't trust each other…" he murmured sadly, his eyes wistful as if remembering better days.

"But if you had to pick a side, which would you pick?" Shadowpaw asked, wanting an answer.

Harespring bent his head, "I think I would pick Blueshadow's side. She was a great cat once you got past her prickly attitude. I don't think she was the murdering type, even if she was dangerous," Harespring mewed.

Then he got to his paws and led her down into the forest, Shadowpaw pressed to his side. "Then why do so many cats think she is a murderer?" Shadowpaw asked.

Harespring didn't glance at her. "Maybe because she was never supposed to be born? Maybe because the younger cats didn't know her as well? Maybe because they knew her brother betrayed the Clan? Lots of things in her life can be used against her," Harespring mewed.

Shadowpaw's pelt prickled, there were two things he had said that she didn't understand. "What do you mean, 'never supposed to be born,'?" she asked warily.

Harespring glanced at her in surprise, "She didn't tell you?" his voice was tinged with disbelief.

Shadowpaw shook her head. "Well…" Harespring began reluctantly. "Her mother was a medicine-cat," he mewed in a low tone.

Shadowpaw's pelt bristled. That was against the medicine-cat code! "But- what?!" she burst out, her claws sliding out in shock.

"Its true, her mother, Cloudberry, was a medicine-cat. Her mate, Longclaw, for the longest time, almost up until he was an elder, hated Blueshadow. I think he said something about her size? Your mother was a small cat, but always had the largest litters," Harespring's whiskers twitched in amusement.

Shadowpaw tried to pick an image of her mother standing beside her Clan-mates. Blueshadow _had_ been small, only about he size of an older apprentice or young warrior. Though her smallest kit was Redsky, and Redsky was still larger then Patchear… And Heathersky, Heathersky looked like a WindClan cat.

Shadowpaw sighed, "And what did you say about her brother betraying the Clan?" Shadowpaw asked, she could swear she heard something about that once, but she couldn't remember clearly.

Harespring seemed more at ease to discuss it then the last point. "Well, her brother, Pricklenose, gathered a lot of rogues and attacked ThunderClan. He had planned to take over ThunderClan. Blueshadow killed him… but not before he killed Darkflower," Harespring's eyes were shadowed.

Shadowpaw lashed his tail, he kept leaving her with more questions! "Who was Darkflower?" she asked, the name rang in her ears, something Softberry had mentioned…

"Oh, she was the medicine-cat before Softberry," Harespring mewed. Shadowpaw nodded, that was why.

"Well, here we are," Harespring mewed, stopping near the Great Sycamore. "See if you can catch enough for the elders," he mewed.

Shadowpaw nodded as her mentor pad away, feeling a rush of warmth for him. Even if he wasn't necessarily on her side, he was open and honest and knew what to say and what should be left unsaid.

Her tail curled over the ground, she stalked quietly over the snow, her light weight kept her from falling through the snow that had been lightly crusted from a bit of melting. Her mouth was open as she stalked forward, struggling to pick up the freshest prey scents.

She halted as squirrel bathed her tongue. She peered around a dead fern bush and saw a red squirrel, a nut between its small paws as it sat on an twisted root that was exposed over the snow. She circled so that she was down-wind.

She'd have to be careful… it would scamper up the tree at the first warning. She crept forward carefully, using the shadows of trees to hide her black pelt. She paused, holding her breath as she carefully judged the distance.

Then she carefully sat herself in a stronger pounce position, wriggling her rump. Then she pounced, her paws skidding on the snow as she fell upon the squirrel. She killed it with a bite and with a muttered thanks to StarClan, then buried it under the dead fern bush and pricked her ears.

The chirping of a bird drifted around her. Lifting her head, she saw a little purple finch flitting around a small oak tree. She watched it without moving as it flew down, down, closer, and closer. Then it was on a branch just a tail-length above the ground and Shadowpaw called back her hunting techniques.

She crept forward, her paws light and fast. The finch tilted its head, its small eyes staring at her and it chirped again and ruffled its feathers. Shadowpaw hesitated as she prepared to pounce. The finch, it seemed too brave, too bold, too arrogant… Like Blueshadow.

A pang in her chest kept her still as the finch flew away. "What was that?! You had a perfect catch!" the scornful mewed made her flatten her ears and glare over her shoulder at Hawktail.

The mottled brown tom was staring at her impatiently. He sided with Brightslash, but wasn't mean to those who sided with Blueshadow. She guessed it was because of his mate, Eaglefeather. His annoyance was justified, she'd just let a perfectly good piece of prey go.

"Sorry," she muttered, dipping her side awkwardly, her fur prickling.

"Sorry' catches no prey," Hawktail snapped, she saw two piece's of prey at his paws.

"I'll make up for it," she promised impatiently.

"Make sure you do," Hawktail snapped.

Shadowpaw watched him leave and headed in the opposite direction. She paused as she spotted a rabbit, its nose twitching and its gray-brown fur clumped with snow. Trying to keep her breath from speeding up with excitement, she stalked forward carefully. Knowing this was the best piece pf prey she'd see.

Her paws not making a sound, she kept her eyes on the bunny. She glided forward like a shadow, stopping about two tail-lengths away. Gathering in her strength, she narrowed her eyes, a purr already in her throat.

She pounced, her teeth meeting the rabbit's neck and snapping it with a smooth movement. _Wait till Harespring see's this!_ She thought proudly, dragging the rabbit back to her squirrel. _I probably have enough prey, but I can still get something more before Harespring returns._

Shadowpaw padded away and returned not long later with a mouse and found Harespring sitting with his prey at his paws next to the dead fern where she'd buried her prey. She looked at him in confusion as he stared at her sternly. Surely he was proud of her catch?

"Is that all you managed to catch?" Harespring asked.

Shadowpaw shook her head dropping her prey, "I put my other prey in the fern bush next to you," she mewed.

Harespring narrowed her eyes at her and looked at the fern bush. "There is no prey here," he mewed. "You should know not to lie to your mentor," he growled.

Shadowpaw bristled with shock and indignation. "Its not a lie!" she hissed, rushing over to the fern bush, just to draw away a moment later, stunned. The bush was empty, the snow was untouched, as if nothing had disturbed it in days.

Shadowpaw swallowed hard, she knew she had put her prey here! She knew! But Harespring didn't know that and stared at her with annoyance. "Because you didn't catch enough prey for the elders and lied to me, the elders will have your share tonight, you will go to your nest hungry," Harespring mewed firmly.

"But!" Shadowpaw started to protest, then dropped it away. She had no proof, everything was gone, her carefully-caught squirrel and the rabbit which she had so looked forward to presenting to Harespring and the elders. Disappointment, harsher then Harespring's words or the hunger in her belly, welled up through her.

It didn't make sense! How could prey just disappear without a trace? What could have happened? She froze, she'd scented a cat scent, faint but still there, though she hadn't recognized it. Leaning back over the fern bush, she saw that the snow had been swept there, as if by a tail. Thin ridge lines proved that.

She sniffed deeply, there was cat scent, stronger then her first scent, but fainter then hers and Harespring's scent. A cat had been here while she'd hunted for the mouse. But who? She hadn't seen any cats other then Hawktail, but he'd been heading back to camp and hadn't seen where she placed her prey. Besides, he was too proud to stoop so low.

So who then? The scent was too faint to know, but it was familiar. ThunderClan. _Who would do that?_ She didn't think even the Brightslash supporters would do such a thing. They were still honorable cats, even if they had a different opinion.

_ Then again, I wouldn't have imagined ThunderClan divided in half, but here it is. Maybe I don't know my Clan-mates as well as I thought._ By then she was back at camp and took her lone mouse, along with a shrew and a vole from the fresh-kill pile, and padded to the elders den, grateful to get away from Harespring's reproachful gaze.

The air in the elders den was warm and the elders were quietly discussing Stormstar's new leadership. "She's a fine cat, she'll be a great leader," Stoneheart declared. Lightfoot nodded in agreement.

"She's a little too detached from her clan-mates, she's loyal, but distant. She will have to be more involved," Foxtail was insisting.

"Here's some prey," Shadowpaw mumbled, setting the prey down and interrupting the argument that was about to get heated.

"Thank you, Shadowpaw," Lightfoot purred, flicking her tail over her ears lightly.

"No problem," Shadowpaw muttered, hoping her stomach wouldn't growl, even though it was tight from lack of food. Her growing body needed food!

"Did you catch all this yourself?" Stoneheart asked admiringly, grabbing the shrew she'd grabbed.

Shadowpaw shook her head, "No, just the mouse," she muttered.

All there elders looked at her in surprise. She'd never only caught one piece of prey. "Prey not running well?" Foxtail asked, surprise in his voice.

Shadowpaw shook her head, "No, some cat just grabbed my prey and hid the evidence, so then I only had the mouse," she growled angrily. She was starving because some cat had stolen her prey!

"Really? Do you know who?" Lightfoot asked. Stoneheart looked shocked and Foxtail looked confused.

Shadowpaw shook her head, "It was ThunderClan scent, but Harespring didn't believe me. So now I don't get dinner," she cried, the pain in her belly scratching her.

Foxtail flicked his tail, "I don't think you'll die," he muttered, though he looked sympathetic.

"I can't believe a ThunderClan cat would do that," Stoneheart shared a glance with Foxtail. "Are you sure that you weren't mistaken?" Stoneheart suggested lightly.

Shadowpaw's heart fell, "You don't believe me?" she cried. The elders were some of her closest friends!

Stoneheart waved his tail in a soothing motion, "I don't believe you're lying, but is it possible that you misplaced it?" he asked.

Shadowpaw lashed her tail, "I wouldn't misplace my first rabbit," she snapped, sadness filling her. Not from her lost catch, but because a Clan-mate would steal from her.

The elders gave perturbed glances. "Do you think its possible that the cat may have thought the catch was abandoned? And took it back to camp?" Foxtail suggested.

Shadowpaw flicked her tail, "I suppose so," she muttered, but that didn't explain how the cat had missed her scent and why it'd made it look like no prey had been there. She knew some cat had maliciously stolen from her, why, she didn't know, and she didn't know who. But she'd keep her suspicions from the elders. Clearly they weren't yet willing to admit their Clan-mates were stealing from each other.

But Shadowpaw knew if it happened once, it'd happen again. But still, who had stolen from her? She padded out of the elders den to let them eat in peace. By now, dusk light was giving way to gray twilight, the shadows long and dark.

She looked around, of course! She just had to find out who brought the rabbit back! She spotted Snowshade, Heathersky, and Nettlesting sharing it. She bounded over to them.

"Hello, Shadowpaw, what can we do for you?" Nettlesting asked friendly.

"Oh, I just wanted to know who brought the rabbit back," she asked, trying not to sound too desperate.

Nettlesting shrugged and Heathersky shook her head, "Sorry, but it shouldn't be too hard to find out," the small russet she-cat mewed.

"Why do you want to know?" the curious growl made Shadowpaw glance at Snowshade. The silver and white she-cat was staring at her with narrowed green eyes. She'd always been the most suspicious of the littermates.

"Oh, no reason," Shadowpaw mewed, her claws flexing at the lie.

Snowshade let out a disgruntled snort. "Your mentor tells me you were lying to him," her half-sister mewed pointedly.

Shadowpaw's fur rose along her spine. "I wasn't lying!" she snapped, her eyes flashing angrily. Then she turned and hurried away. She asked a few more cats, but no cat seemed to know. It didn't help that all the Bright supporters would send her away with an annoyed snarl.

_ I bet some ShadowClan cats are nicer then my own Clan-mates!_ She thought irritably, heading to her den. Darkness had fallen on the camp and every cat was in their dens. Cold and paw-sore, she headed for her own den. It was empty and unwelcoming and she hesitated outside for a moment.

She allowed her gaze to travel over the camp. She stiffened as she caught a scent, the same scent she'd gotten a sniff at by the fern bush! Looking around ,she spotted the cat, a growl raising in her throat.

Her hatred pulsed through her, especially strong because her belly was empty. The silver fur, the blue eyes, and the long tail of the handsome young tom filled her vision as he stared at her arrogantly from across the clearing, daring her to say something.

Bitterness, cold and sour blew through her. _And to think we used to be friends when we were kits together!_ She curled up in her lonesome den, trying to fight the cold that pulled at her heart, the shock of learning that a cat she'd count as her friend would steal from her. _Aspenclaw, I won't forget that._

**...**

**Things are starting to build up to a perfect storm, eh? So, uh, the next update might take a little longer, going back to school and I realized I didn't manage to work on ANYTHING on my free week. (I live in America, Thanksgiving week is free of school)**

**So... don't be sad or anything, and Please Review! **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! so a little late, better then what I thought! **

**REVIEWS**

**"scourage728"- ;)**

**ShadowHawk- Yeah, I didn't want to stay too attached to Blueshadow, her story was over and this is kind of moving on, though it is obviously tied to her.**

**Dawnfeather- Thanks! and she wouldn't be able to be my character without a little rebellion! **

**"Levithan48"- My favorite time ;)**

**"Frostdawn"- I don't know...**

**"I Am Basic"- That's the point. And this is before, uhh... after Softberry received it and before it actually takes place. **

**I Am ****Villainous- So do I, the best stories are always like that .**

**"rainpool77"- Aww, Shadowpaw thanks ya!**

**"walkswithwheels"- Yeah... but I won't, the story would be a little predictable, I like this different idea better.**

**AEIOU- I home-school, so yeah, I took the whole week off. And I know! I'd go a slap the cat if it was actually me, but it was Shadowpaw... And I like that, 'murder mystery' I should totally make a stand-alone story like that, it'd appeal to more people I think without it being a sequel. **

**Mouseydragonwolf- Thanks! and I'm really working on making things interesting without much action, since I actually don't seem to have a tendency of writing lots of fights.**

**"ShadowQuest2000" I know! it was so mean!**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Uh... No, he isn't. I recently read that in the real series he'd WindClan, but not in this book! **

**"Starburst768"- Thanks! And I updated, as you have already noticed.**

**Guest- Thanks! and I don't know, Blueshadow's story is over, it seems time to move on... Maybe I will. **

**Chapter 3**

"So while he was tripped, I grabbed his friend and threw him on the cat and then kicked them both away and sent them rolling!" Crystalheart was boasting to a half-listening Shadowpaw.

"Bet it was exciting," Shadowpaw murmured. Crystalheart nodded, a few gleaming scratches crossed her pelt. There'd been a small scuffle with RiverClan the day before. Shadowpaw hadn't participated. She'd been hunting for the elders, as usual, and had been on the other side of the territory.

"You'll be in the next one," Crystalheart mewed encouragingly. Shadowpaw sighed, had yet to fight even though she was almost a warrior.

"Well, I'm going to my nest," Shadowpaw announced, getting up and stretching, her breath billowing like wisps of fog in front of her muzzle.

Crystalheart nodded and stood up as well, stretching her fore-legs. Her yellow and white fur was dull in the gray twilight, though Shadowpaw's black fur gleamed. "It won't be long before Deerleap's kits are apprentices," Crystalheart mewed friendly, seeing her reluctance to go back to her empty den.

"Yeah," Shadowpaw agreed, "But I will be a warrior by then," she mewed. A moon had passed since Stormstar assumed leadership. That meant that she was five moons into training. She would be a warrior soon.

Yawning, she waved goodnight to Crystalheart and headed for her den. The den was empty and cold, as always. Sighing, she settled into her nest that laid alone in the middle of the den. That was the only good thing about being alone, she got the best place for a nest and the softest moss.

Her nest was piled with moss that she would pull over her fur to help keep the many drafts away. The only thing that kept her from getting sick with cold. The dark light increased as the clouds covered the sky, blocking out any bit of light there'd been.

She closed her eyes, though it made no difference. But sleep was a long time coming. It was always when she was trying to sleep that the more worrisome thoughts came to her mind. _Why had Aspenclaw stolen my prey? Why does the Clan keep getting more divided? Why does almost every cat hate me? What have I ever done?_

Resentment and loneliness pressed on her as she pulled the moss closer around her, sleep finally swallowing her, though her dreams were broken and depressing.

When she awoke the next morning, she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. Her fur messy and her eyes dull and sticky. "Come on, Shadowpaw!" the yowl of her mentor pulled her from her quick grooming and she padded out, flicking her tail with annoyance. It was hardly dawn! The scent of the Dawn Patrol fresh at the entrance as he led her out, though her stomach growled in complaint.

"What are we doing?" she asked with annoyance.

"Hunting," Harespring answered. Shadowpaw stifled a sigh. That seemed to be the only thing she ever did! Hunting was all good and fine, but she knew that she wasn't as skilled in fighting as most apprentices her age.

They headed to Tall-Pines and she felt at ease slipping along under the dark green covering. The snow soft beneath her paws and heavily scented by the fallen pine-needles. The rich aroma wreathed around her. Every cat had a favorite place, this was hers.

She was happy to split up with Harespring. He was in a thinking mood, he'd been silent and probably wouldn't be very helpful to her. She quickly tracked and caught a mouse and then on her way back startled a starling and caught that as well with a well-aimed swipe.

Harespring was sitting and chatting with Crystalheart when she got back. "Good, you're back," Harespring mewed, nodding approvingly at her catch.

"I'll take this back to camp, you can continue hunting with Crystalheart," Harespring mewed, grabbing her prey along with his own. "There's a little trouble," he mewed as he padded away.

Shadowpaw pricked her ears, "What trouble?" she asked Crystalheart, who's sky colored eyes were round with worry.

"Flameclaw accused Gingercloud of attacking him," Crystalheart mewed.

Shadowpaw twitched her whiskers disbelievingly. "Was he hurt?" she asked, the bright orange tom was always trying to cause trouble with the Blue supporters.

Crystalheart nodded and Shadowpaw frowned. "Though no worse then if he fell in a bramble bush. And Gingercloud had been asleep in the den all night. Though, Gingercloud has a sharp tongue and might make things worse before we can figure out what happened," Crystalheart mewed.

Shadowpaw nodded in agreement, Gingercloud was quick to insult and slow to apologize. She was difficult and a troublemaker, always playing little jokes on her Clan-mates. But she was loyal through and through and hated any cat that said otherwise. Maybe because her father had never taken much interest in her?

Shadowpaw shrugged, life was too complicated to figure out, though her paws itched to untangle the jumble of tangled paths, as they started padding through the forest of pines. Especially the ones her mother created… She still remembered Greystar, the leader of RiverClan, being so heartbroken over Blueshadow's death, she wondered why.

She halted in surprise as Crystalheart swept her tail in front of her to block her path. "Intruders up ahead," Crystalheart murmured. Then she frowned, "Stupid pines! Can't get a clear cent, can you?"

Shadowpaw took in a deep breath, breathing in the rich aroma of pines that was laden on the cold air. But she could clearly distinguish the intruders' scent. "Two she-cat's, smell like Kittypets," Shadowpaw mewed dismissively, though her fur prickled. One scent was familiar while the other smelled like it should be.

She and Crystalheart padded forward with care, Shadowpaw staying to the shadows while Crystalheart pressed against the snow, her white patches helped hide her, though her yellow fur stood out like a buttercup in the snow.

Soon she was able to get a glimpse of the two cats and flicked her tail at Crystalheart to stop moving forward. One of the she-cat's was an older white she-cat with a black tail, ears, and muzzle. Her eyes were a sparkling blue despite her age that was seen by the silver hairs mingled with black on her muzzle.

The other was a slightly younger she-cat, she was a hefty black cat with an odd splash of white on one flank, her eyes were a familiar blue… Shadowpaw gasped as she recognized the eyes to match a Clan cat! Suddenly she felt queasy and she didn't want to know why these cats were there, waiting patiently just over the border.

She crawled over to Crystalheart. "They look harmless, lets go see what they want," she murmured. Though she just wanted to leave them alone and go away.

Crystalheart nodded, looking slightly worried. They stood up and padded out of the shadows to face the intruders boldly. Crystalheart's ears pricked with surprise as she eyed the white and black she-cat.

"Hey! I know you!" Crystalheart mewed, nodding at the older cat. "You were with Blueshadow when you went to find Shadowkit," Crystalheart mewed.

Shadowpaw's paws burned with embarrassment as the night was brought back to memory. But at least Crystalheart had solved the reason for why the Kittypet had smelled familiar.

"That's right," the she-cat mewed, nodding her head at Crystalheart with surprise dancing in her eyes. "I hadn't expected to see you again," the Kittypet continued.

Crystalheart shrugged, "Shadowpaw here found me and helped get me in the Clan. Blueshadow took a liking to me I guess," Crystalheart purred wistfully, as if regretting once again not knowing Blueshadow.

The black Kittypet's eyes flashed with, jealousy? Regret? Anger? Shame? Shadowpaw shivered, knowing who the cat was related to unnerved her. But the other mystery was why her scent smelled so much like her… but she had the eyes of him.

"Speaking of Blueshadow," the black Kittypet broke in, taking a step forward and clearing her throat. "May I ask for you to fetch her for me? I-I have something to say to her," the black Kittypet mewed embarrassedly.

Shadowpaw felt her heart tremble as if it was struck. "C-Can I first ask what your names are?" Shadowpaw asked, sharing a swift glance with Crystalheart.

"Oh, yes," the black cat mewed, she sounded a little embarrassed. "I'm Splash- err- Holly, I'm Holly. And this is Leven," Holly introduced awkwardly, her blue eyes flashing with unreadable emotions.

Shadowpaw frowned, _Splash, she was going to say a Clan's name first… Now, where have I heard a name with 'Splash'?_ But she had to stay focused at the moment and Crystalheart was staring at her hopefully. Obviously she wanted her to explain.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she mewed slowly.

Holly's tail lashed, "Just tell her that Holly wants to speak with her! She'll come, I know she will!" the black Kittypet protested.

Shadowpaw lashed her tail, irritation mingling with sorrow. "I'll say it again, okay? I can't get Blueshadow!" she hissed, not wanting to say the actual words.

The Kittypet's fur bristled aggressively, "Then I'll get her myself!" she hissed.

Shadowpaw snarled, showing her teeth a little. "That won't work either!" she snapped.

"Why not?!" Holly asked, sounding aggravated and exasperated. Shadowpaw realized they were standing nose-to-nose.

"Because," Shadowpaw rasped, sadness swelled in her throat and an image of Blueshadow, her mother, lying limply on the river shore, covered her vision. "She's dead, died four moons ago," she mumbled, trying not to sob.

Holly drew back, as if she'd been struck. "W-what? Dead?" Holly whispered in horror. Leven sat back, her eyes wide with distress.

"B-But how did she die?!" Holly cried, her eyes shining with regret.

Shadowpaw shook her head, "She was killed by Brightslash," she mewed ruefully.

Crystalheart stepped up to her shoulder and laid her tail over her shoulders. "We're not sure what happened other then that Brightslash killed Blueshadow and Blueshadow killed Brightslash," Crystalheart mewed gently.

Holly shook her head, Shadowpaw guessed she didn't know Brightslash, she hoped she wouldn't ask which Clan she was from. "I-I won't be bothering you then," Holly mewed, turning away, her tail and head down and Leven pressed against her comfortingly as they crossed back into Twoleg territory.

Shadowpaw watched them go, Crystalheart not moving until they disappeared from sight. "Come on, lets get to hunting," her Clan-mate sighed, as if wanting to put the whole incident from her mind.

Shadowpaw nodded and followed her deeper into Tall-Pines. She caught the prey with cold efficiency, but her thoughts were elsewhere, in Holly's eyes. _Why does she have eyes that match Greystar's, but had a scent that is similar to Blueshadow's? as if she was her kit…_

…

Two days later Shadowpaw was still trying to figure it out. Tensions were tight in the Clan. Stormstar had decided that Flameclaw had been lying when he accused Gingercloud and he'd been assigned to a moon of taking care of the elders, freeing up Shadowpaw's time to get some extra battle-practice.

And on top of that, she was still trying to figure out Brightslash's motive for attacking Blueshadow and why Aspenclaw had stolen her prey. She sighed, things had been so much simpler when she was a kit. Her claws kneaded the frozen ground, waiting impatiently for Harespring to arrive at the training hollow.

Not that she minded being alone, it gave her time to think. But she just shook her head, her mother had been much to mysterious, it would take more then thought to figure it all out. She glanced up with relief as Harespring arrived.

_ Good, I'll be able to get my mind off the Clan troubles for awhile._ She trotted after him into the middle of the Training hollow. The very bottom had been cleared of snow, leaving the ground sandy and gritty beneath her paws. She liked how it felt.

"Okay," Harespring mewed. "I want you to use the badger defense against me, lets see how its coming along," Harespring, speaking about the move they'd done last time.

Shadowpaw nodded, picturing her doing the move, seeing exactly how she'd have to balance and leap and twist. She faced Harespring, crouched as she found her center of balance, then she started it.

It went perfectly, she balanced on her hindlegs and swiped at Harespring's face, her paws skimming his whiskers. Then she leaped up, twice the height of Harespring's skinny back, landing by his back leg on the left side. She clawed with one paw, balancing on the other three and then leaping around to face Harespring, the whole move done before he could react.

"Very good!" Harespring praised. Shadowpaw purred at the pride in his eyes. "Now lets try something else…" he showed her a few other moves. Shadowpaw mastered them easily.

Then she came to a block. "No! you need to jump high enough and twist so that your paws are horizontal to the tree!" Harespring mewed in exasperation.

"Show me the move again!" Shadowpaw begged, feeling hot and frustrated as she tried to master this impossible move.

"Fine, I'll show you the Jump-And-Pin _again_," Harespring growled, though he was starting to look tired as well. He ran at the tree that was at the top of the training hollow. Then he leaped, somehow twisting himself so that his paws met the side of the tree squarely.

Then he quickly pushed off, twisting so that he was leaping upright again. Landing accurately on a crumpled leaf, the force would easily knock the opponent on the ground and make it easy to pin.

Shadowpaw whined, she'd never get it right! But she tried again. Running at the tree with frustration, when she leaped, her paws hit the tree slanted down, not square enough and they slid down, her paws being cut by the rough bark, but she was too angry to even notice the blood her paws smeared on the ground as she tumbled away down the slope.

Harespring sighed, padding over to stand over where she laid, panting, on the ground. "Your mother practically invented that move, how come you can't get it right?" Harespring muttered.

His words sent a surge of anger through her and she sprang to her paws. "If you hadn't noticed," she spat, "I'm not my mother!" she snarled.

Hot tears of frustration and anger sprang to her eyes and she couldn't stand being there another moment. Dashing off, she ignored Harespring's yowl as she raced away aimlessly. She didn't glance at the landscape as she crashed through it, she was too busy trying to ignore the thoughts in her mind.

_ How can you figure anything out if you can't even get close to accomplishing one move? No wonder Aspenclaw was able to get away with stealing your prey, you don't know how to do anything!_ Her mind pounded down on her shoulders so heavily it hurt.

Her paws were numb from cold, but had refused to stop bleeding. Probably because she hadn't picked the splinter's out yet. She stumbled to a stop when she couldn't run anymore. Then she stiffened in horror.

She'd run right past the ShadowClan markers! The border lay about the width of Fourtrees away from her. She skittered back to the border, peering nervously over her shoulder.

She still didn't hear the pounding of paws until a cat was on top of her, the reek of ShadowClan pouring over her. She gasped and tried to yowl for help, but her muzzle had been pushed into the snow and she choked on the cold fluff, struggling to breathe

She glanced up, eyes wide and terrified as she waited for the searing pain of claws to rake down her exposed body. She groaned as she recognized the cat from gatherings. _Marshclaw! The ShadowClan deputy!_

His dark yellow eyes glared down at her, his dark brown tabby fur bristled so that was all she could see. "A little small to be trespassing, don't you think?" the deputy growled in her ear.

Shadowpaw fought to free her muzzle, "Let me go right now! It was just an accident," she gasped. To her surprise, Marshclaw stepped off of her, his claws hadn't even come out. But he placed himself between her and the ThunderClan border.

"How did you come to cross my border?" Marshclaw growled.

"None of your business," Shadowpaw huffed, not wanting to admit she had been too frustrated with herself that she'd not even paid attention to her surroundings.

"You're on my territory, it is my business," Marshclaw pointed out sensibly.

But Shadowpaw didn't feel like being sensible, "So? Its still _my_ business, it doesn't belong to your territory either!" she snapped.

She frowned when Marshclaw's eyes flickered with amusement. "What?" she demanded, fluffing up her fur defensively.

"You're just like your mother," Marshclaw mewed, memories swimming in his eyes.

Shadowpaw growled, "Why does that matter? You were probably glad she died, I head how she killed Pinestar once," she growled suspiciously. Eyeing the tom warily.

He flicked his tail dismissively, though she saw the flash of anger and panic in his gaze. "She was a good warrior, a loss to all the Clans," Marshclaw mewed.

Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes, that was drenched was fakeness. "Are you going to let me back to my territory, or keep telling me lies?" she demanded.

Marshclaw stepped aside. "Go ahead, but I don't want to find you on my territory again," he growled sternly.

Shadowpaw nodded, relieved, and shuffled past him nervously. He blocked her with his tail as she tried to sweep past him. "Uh… how are Stormstar, Nettlesting, Heatherksy, Gingercloud, and Snowshade doing? Are they all fine?" Marshclaw asked, sounded awkward and longing at the same time.

Shadowpaw glared at him with annoyance, "They're all fine, why do you care so much?" she growled.

But Marshclaw didn't respond, sweeping her by with his tail and she quickly jumped into her territory and disappeared from his gaze.

Relief thrummed through her as she was surrounded by the scents of her own territory. But questions pounded in her mind, it seemed there was _another_ secret to be uncovered. Did she really want to spend her life digging up secrets that should be left forgotten? Did she even care?

**...**

**So the wheels are turning... now I need to figure out what the heck I'm doing with this story! ugh! I can't belive I haven't planned it out yet, usually I do that, at latest, after the prologue. But no, three updates in already...**

**Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey! sorry 'bout being late... oh! and I totally realized I hadn't posted the allegiances yet! though I said I'd do it, so they're in here!**

**REVIEWS**

**"Leviathan48"- Yep, but I'm not sure what Harespring would make amends for...**

**BrmablestripeTC- I don't know... there aren't going to be too many new characters in this story...**

**"Crowstar54"- I don't know**

**"I Am Basic"- I don't know, maybe? And I don't actually want this entire story focused on Shadowpaw digging up old information**

**"rainpool77"- Yep, three things lots of people would like to see happen**

**"ShadowQuest2000"- I think I've mostly figured out how this is going to go**

**AEIOU- Yeah, couldn't agree with you more... actually I could**

**ShadowHawk- True**

**Dawnfeather- thanks!**

**Mouseydragonwolf- I know, right?**

**"Catqstar"- Yes, Shadowpaw is the main character. **

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- ;)**

**Angelflight- Yes, it would, luckily that's not going to happen**

**Chapter 4**

Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes, her muscles tightening as she looked at her mark. _I will master you!_ Racing with her paws skidding the snow, she tried to jump at the tree and twist herself around. She was close, but it wasn't close enough, and she fell with a thud in the snow.

Sputtering, she stumbled out of the snow drift. Shaking snow from her thick pelt, she glared at the wood bark. _Whatever! I'll never use it in my life anyways!_ She thought, huffing and turning away. The sun glanced off the snow, dazzling her eyes and sparkling on her silky black fur.

She went and dug up the prey she'd caught, grabbing it and heading back to camp. She pricked her ears as she came through the gorse camp. It was only just past dawn, yet every cat was already up and muttering anxiously.

She deposited her prey and headed over to Leopardberry. "Hey! What's going on?" she asked. Then she winced as the spotted warrior turned her searing green eyes on her.

"Don't bother me, apprentice!" the warrior snarled, curling her lip.

Shadowpaw turned away, unbothered, it seemed most cats hated her. Instead, she turned over to Whitepaw, her brother was crouched next to Softberry, his blue gaze flicking nervously over the Clan. "What happened?" she asked, skidding to a halt and spraying snow in his face.

He muttered something inaudible, wiping the snow off his face with a paw and sitting up crossly. "The Bright supporters are causing trouble again," Whitepaw growled.

Shadowpaw flicked her ears, unsurprised. "What did they say this time?" she asked, sniffing.

"They said that Feathershine was spying for ShadowClan," Whitepaw snorted.

Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes and glanced at Feathershine. She was facing Stormstar and glaring furiously at Robinspot, who was probably the cat who'd accused her. She could hear the curses and swears Feathershine was saying, she obviously was outraged.

"They're getting smarter," Shadowpaw commented as Stormstar brought Feathershine and Robinspot into her den.

Whitepaw jerked his head around to face her, staring at her as if she'd grown two heads. "What?!" he mewed, sounding surprised and angry.

"I mean, this time they didn't accuse one of Stormstar's siblings, obviously Stormstar would believe her sister without a second thought, but when it's a different cat… She will look into it more closely and won't just take her word against it," Shadowpaw explained.

Whitepaw shrugged, "I guess you're right," he muttered, crouching down again.

Shadowpaw flicked her tail over his ear, "Of course I'm right," she mewed, then turned and trotted over to Crystalheart who was with Goldenmist.

"Hey, Shadowpaw," Crystalheart purred friendly. "What do you think about this?" Crystalheart asked, sweeping her tail to gesture over the bickering Clan.

Shadowpaw sat down next to her and let her gaze travel thoughtfully over the suspicious and broken cats. "I think its nonsense that we allow ourselves to so easily be divided by something that can't be changed," she mewed.

"Well said," Goldenmist murmured, her worried green eyes resting on Adderfang who was in the middle of rallying the Bright supporters. _It must be hard to watch your son do that…_

But Stormstar had come out of her den, Robinspot scowling and Feathershine looking smug. _Not that its going to help anything, things will just keep building and building until they finally break loose._

Shadowpaw's fur twitched as a rush of power and hunger swept at her paws. It would be all too easy to take power in the midst of such turmoil… _No! you will not take advantage of your Clan-mates. I'm better then that._

She sighed, but the idea didn't leave her, it festered under her skin, itching as she listened to Stormstar say that the accusations had no evidence and then Lionclaw sorted out the patrols.

She was set on a border patrol on the RiverClan border, there were extra patrols there as RiverClan scent had been reported past Sunningrocks. Though not strong enough to convict them, yet.

Shadowpaw's fur prickled as she realized Lionclaw had divided the patrols, Blue supporters on one patrol and Bright supporters on other patrols. _The divisions just get deeper and deeper…_ She thought as she followed Gorseclaw, Snowshade, Heathersky, and Hawktail.

Hawktail was the only cat on the patrol that supported Brightslash, though his refusal to call the Blue supporters wrong was what had probably let Lionclaw put him on the patrol.

As soon as they were out of camp, Shadowpaw fell behind the patrol, keeping a few paw-steps between herself and them as they chatted quietly. Her thoughts turned to Marshclaw, Holly, Blueshadow, and Aspenclaw. How many more mysteries were there to figure out? It'd been three days since her meeting with Marshclaw and she desperately needed a hint.

_ Well, I'm not going to get anything if I don't go looking for it,_ she told herself. But where to start? _I have a feeling that Marshclaw's secret will be easier… I'll start there._ She decided.

But still… how to get the information she needed? She was jerked out of her thoughts as Gorseclaw let out an enraged yowl. Then the patrol spurted in front of her suddenly and she scampered after them, wondering what was going on.

They heavy fishy scent of RiverClan rolled to her and she realized some cats must have crossed the border. _Finally! I get to fight! _She raced after the heels of Hawktail, rounding the bend to see Gorseclaw with his hackles raised already as he faced three RiverClan cats.

The three cats, she didn't recognize them, but Gorseclaw obviously did. "Stonefoot!" Gorseclaw growled, sizing up the leader, a stocky gray tom with black paws and orange eyes. "What are you doing on my territory?" Gorseclaw snarled, the senior warrior's fur pricked along his spine.

Something rustled in Shadowpaw's chest, she turned and saw for one moment the flash of Blueshadow's green eyes. A warning in them. Suspicious, she sniffed the air, her fur bristling with alarm. The air was heavy with fresh RiverClan scent, they were about to be ambushed!

"Its an ambush!" Shadowpaw shrieked. Her four clan-mates turned to look at her in surprise, but Stonefoot leapt forward, his two cats with him.

Shadowpaw yowled as one of the cats, a brown tabby she-cat with green eyes and a glossy fishy pelt, fell upon her, raking her claws over her flank. Shadowpaw hissed and angrily battered at the she-cat's ears.

Her enemy snarled as blood dribbled down her face but aimed a blow at Shadowpaw's cheek. The black apprentice ducked and with a snarl, then ducked and twisted, pulling the she-cat's head around and tripping her.

Then she froze, the RiverClan scent was growing stronger, these cats were trying to distract them! She raised her muzzle, but Snowshade beat her to it. "They're just holding us up until their friends arrive! We need to leave now!" Snowshade yowled. Shadowpaw kicked her opponent away, shaking the blood from her claws as she bounded to where Snowshade and Heathersky stood.

Gorseclaw and Hawktail joined them a moment later. Then they crashed into the bushes, the yowls of pursuing cats signaled the arrival of four new cats. Shadowpaw raced at the side of the warriors, her paws skimming like feathers and she easily pulled past them.

"This way!" she huffed in Gorseclaw's ear. She then turned abruptly on the path, her paws slipping and skidding on leaves and snow. Then she quickly slipped beneath a thick bramble bush, a faint bunny track showed her way to the middle of the briars.

She heard the huffing and scraping as the larger warriors followed her through the small, thorny tunnel. "This is ridiculous," she heard Snowshade mutter. But she didn't stop to respond. A heartbeat later she emerged into a small clearing, the arching bare branches of the gnarled little trees tangled overhead and the tall barrier swept on all sides.

"Wow," Heathersky breathed. "What is this place?" Heathersky asked.

"I found it while chasing a mouse, it's a good hiding place," Shadowpaw explained.

Gorseclaw snorted, "We're cats, not mice, we should have fought instead of hiding," he grumbled.

"Maybe," Shadowpaw shrugged, "But now we're safe and they'll head back to their own territory," Shadowpaw mewed.

Hawktail looked at her sharply, "Or they might make their way to camp," he mewed in a hushed tone.

Shadowpaw shook her head, "No, they just wanted us, they wouldn't hurt their friends. Besides, there wasn't enough of them to raid the camp," Shadowpaw pointed out.

But the fur of the other cats was bristling. "What makes you think they were after us, specifically?" Snowshade growled, though Shadowpaw could see Snowshade had guessed her thoughts.

"Obviously they were waiting for us, we weren't even close to the RiverClan border. If they wanted more territory, then they would have moved their border. They didn't. If they had wanted to attack any patrol, they would have gone looking for one, how could they possibly know our patrol routes without help?" Shadowpaw pointed out with icy clearness.

The fear and nervousness in their eyes was swallowed by the overwhelming truth. "Who do you think did it?" Hawktail murmured.

Shadowpaw stood up and flicked her tail, the noises of the RiverClan cats had faded into the distance of their own territory. "Its final, the Clan has really been divided so much that at least one side sees us as an enemy," she growled, then turned her face away from the stunned looks of her Clan-mates.

The she murmured, too quietly for any cat to hear. "And the Bright supporters are sure acting like they want me dead."

…**...**

The cats were still bristling as they crossed the territory to camp. Shadowpaw's bitter words rang in the silence. Shadowpaw could tell they were all wondering the same thing, _would our Clan-mates really betray us to our enemies?_

Shadowpaw could see it was possible. Things were elevating fast, first insults, then prey stealing, accusations of attacks, now betraying each other. Shadowpaw swished her tail mutinously over the ground.

It was so _stupid,_ how so many cats could be so near-sighted! Couldn't they see they were part of more then just their personal lives? Couldn't they see they were a long chain of cats who'd first started the impossible task of organizing and inventing the Clans?

No! no cat could see past their own noses, even if that meant that ThunderClan would break up. She'd realized long ago that her life in the Clans was insignificant to the dozens of heroes, prophecies, battles, wars, and heroism that the Clans had displayed and would display.

Of course, her life felt very important to her, as it did to every cat, but she knew that live or die, the Clan would go on. _Life's an endless tide of actions and emotions, one after another, all the same, yet, different._

She flicked her ears up as she wondered if there was a way for her to find the answers she was searching for. _Of course, they probably won't help anything, except give me something to distract me from how half the Clan seems to hate me._

She sighed as they paused at the top of the ravine, Gorseclaw turning to face them. She'd expected it and guessed what he would say before he'd opened his jaws. "I want to keep this a secret, we don't have any real proof, and I don't want to stir up trouble," Gorseclaw muttered. _Though its just fine for the Bright supporters to stir up trouble._

The cats nodded in agreement. "But," Gorseclaw sounded hesitant, his eyes flickering around. "Keep your eyes open, if some cat did betray us, then we have to be ready for the next time," Gorseclaw murmured.

Every cat nodded solemnly, and they padded down the ravine. Clouds had moved in on a breeze that ruffled the snow and blew it down from the trees. It was almost sun-high and every cat seemed to be in camp, Shadowpaw noticed that, as usual, cats were separated.

It stirred an anger in her belly, cold and black, these cats were kin! Clan-mates! Bound by loyalty and blood just the same, yet one different opinion had set them apart, were they so easily divided? _Blueshadow would never have allowed it,_ she thought, cold disappointment bitter on her tongue.

She broke off from the patrol and headed over to Harespring who was sharing a meal with Breezeice. She approached cautiously, although Breezeice had stayed silent on everything, as she usually would, it was widely assumed she sided with her daughter.

"Shadowpaw," Breezeice mewed with cold politeness, nothing worse then would be expected.

"Breezeice, Harespring," Shadowpaw responded, keeping her voice completely expressionless. But it was hard with Breezeice's eerie ice gaze on her, as if some cat was looking into her most private thoughts.

"Are we doing anything this fine afternoon, Harespring?" Shadowpaw mewed, hiding her nervousness with a hard edge of impatience.

"No, you can take care of the elders, Flameclaw gets the day off, but I want you back in camp before dark," Harespring mewed, twitching his white tufted ears.

Shadowpaw dipped her head, hurrying away from Breezeice's gaze. She entered the elder's den, sighing with contentment at the warm atmosphere, so different then the angry and cold one in the rest of camp.

After a few moments of adjusting her eyes to the gloom, she saw that Deerleap's kits were there as well, listening to Stoneheart describe a long ago battle with RiverClan.

"Fur flew everywhere, cats withered all around me, wrestling with their opponent. The rocks were alive with cats and the scent of blood heavy on the air and red on the stone. I faced the warrior… uh…. What was her name again? Leopardleap? Something like that…" the elder's voice droned on as Shadowpaw turned her thoughts elsewhere and raked up the musty old moss with her sharp claws, hooked like briar thorns.

_ What happened with Greystar? And Holly… what's the story? _Suddenly she remembered a question she'd wanted to ask. "Stoneheart?" she asked as he finished his story and she dropped the old moss she'd been carrying.

"Yes?" the gray elder asked, his eyes glinted with impatience as Rockkit and Cloudkit rolled over in a play-fight and squashed his tail.

"Was there a cat in the Clan who's name started with 'Splash,'?" Shadowpaw asked.

Stoneheart blinked in surprise. "Yes, actually there was, but she died long ago, why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh," Shadowpaw shrugged, "No reason, I just heard the name, what was her whole name?" Shadowpaw asked, keeping her voice only mildly interested. Though really she wanted to bounce with excitement that she was really finding something out.

"Her name was Splashspot, a big black cat with a white spot on her side and blue eyes…. I think, she died a young warrior, poor cat," Stoneheart shook his head in regret.

"Who are you mewing about?" the cranky mew came from Foxtail, who'd woken as the three kits clambered over him to get outside.

"Splashspot," Lightfoot murmured sleepily from where she was dozing, peeping one eye open to look at Foxtail.

"She was your daughter, Foxtail, you shouldn't have to ask who," Stoneheart muttered in annoyance.

Shadowpaw's ears pricked, so the Clan thought Splashspot was dead, though she obviously wasn't. "So she was Blueshadow's kit? Littermates with Redsky, Gorseclaw, and Mossleaf?" Shadowpaw persisted, that would explain why her scent was similar to Blueshadow's. _Cats carry their mother's scent more strongly then their father's._

"And she was _your_ kit?" she asked Foxtail doubtfully.

Foxtail nodded his head awkwardly, his amber eyes uneasy. Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes, he was lying, he'd kept a secret for Blueshadow… She'd only need that secret if she'd broken the code… _Could Greystar really be the father? _Sudden panic pulled at her, _He's not my father right? He can't be!_

She relaxed as she reminded herself that Whitepaw was definitely her littermate and he was definitely Whitefoot's son. They looked much too alike. Besides, she could just catch Whitefoot's scent on her brother.

But she couldn't think about that now, the elders were giving her curious stares. So she picked up the moss and took it outside the camp, sighing with relief that no cat had insulted her on her way out.

She dumped the old moss and then dug through the snow for more, clawing the moss out cleanly and shaking the moisture out, all the while thinking. _There's only one cat I can get the truth from now… Greystar. Marshclaw's secret will have to wait awhile._

She quickly took care of the elders, then went out to hunt for them before dark. She pricked her ears and kept on ear out for prey, the other for any cat, either ThunderClan or RiverClan. She quickly caught a squirrel and a couple of mice, even though she was a little rusty on fighting skills, she had top notch hunting skills.

Once her prey was hidden discretely, she always did that after Aspenclaw had stolen her prey, she stalked toward the RiverClan border. The river shone with a sleek icy glare, frozen over from the cold weather. The sun was setting, showing up low on the horizon below the cloud line. She'd have to head home soon.

She was just beginning to think she'd have to wait until another day, as she hadn't seen any cat except a small dark gray apprentice on the opposite shore. _Honestly, what's the chance of meeting the RiverClan leader at the border?_

Then she froze, a new cat had appeared on the opposite side, an old gray tom who moved stiffly, his darker gray ears singled him out as Greystar, the RiverClan leader. Then she was nervous, how could she ask him these questions without him getting suspicious? And even though he was an older leader, she doubted his claws were any less sharp.

At least luck was on her side as he padded easily over the frozen river. He passed right in front of her, pausing to look longingly into the dense undergrowth. Shadowpaw's pelt prickled as his gaze swept over her hiding place and locked with her dark gaze.

"You may as well come out," Greystar growled, his ears flattening.

Shadowpaw took a deep gulp and buried her nervousness, striding out to face the leader boldly. Her young body was smaller then his, but her pelt gleamed with health while his was growing old and patchy, his stained and broken teeth visible as he gave a slight snarl.

But his eyes, all her doubts disappeared, it was like looking into Splashspot's eyes. Except for the light of authority, this cat was used to giving orders and had the sharp edge of a cat who had seen one too many battles.

"Shadowpaw," his gaze got slightly more inflamed, hot fire giving was to cold stone.

"Greystar," she mewed, looking over him, slightly bored with his emotions.

"What do you want?" Greystar growled.

"I'm not on your territory," she pointed out.

"Then what were you doing here?" Greystar growled, starting to look unnerved by her casualness, she guessed he was used to young enemy cats being more afraid.

"Waiting for you," Shadowpaw responded, sitting down and curling her long, sleek, thick, black tail over her paws, the thick end curling a little.

Greystar sat down as well, his old shoulder's thin and spiky under his thin pelt. "Well, I'm here now, ask away," Greystar grumbled, flicking his dark gray ears.

"I recently made a discovery," Shadowpaw began nonchalantly, not missing Greystar's eyes flashing with panic. "It seems you fathered Blueshadow's first litter, true or not?" Shadowpaw asked.

Greystar hesitated for a moment before anger flaming in his eyes, though Shadowpaw saw it covered his fear. "No, that's utter nonsense! What could possibly make you think that?!" Greystar growled.

"Only that the ThunderClan cat who claimed to be the father told me himself," Shadowpaw mewed slyly, blinking up honestly at him.

Greystar jerked away, panic and shock clear in his eyes. "What?! He wouldn't!" Greystar protested.

Shadowpaw looked at him almost scornfully, "He didn't, but you gave me everything I needed," she mewed, turning away. She'd gone one step before a paw was on her tail and she whipped around, claws out and teeth bared in a snarl.

Greystar took a startled step back. "What are you going to do with that information?" Greystar asked, almost nervously, but his eyes were clear.

Shadowpaw shrugged, "Nothing," she mewed.

Greystar sat back with a snort, though a puzzled look in his eyes. "Why bother looking then?" Greystar asked curiously.

Shadowpaw shrugged, "I like knowing things, but I'm not stupid enough to tear ThunderClan even further apart," she growled.

Greystar said nothing more, just gave her a dignified nod and then padded off toward the river. Shadowpaw watched him from the shadows that lengthened as the last gleam of sunlight died from the forest. She stayed frozen until the sky turned from blue to inky black, the blue aura only in the west most corner of the sky.

Then as the first hoot of an owl echoed around her, she was jerked out of her thoughts. Snatching up her prey she raced back to camp. _So what? Harespring will be angry and the elders will be fed late, but I finally solved a mystery! _

** ALLEGIANCES **

**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER**

** Stormstar- Smoky blue-grey she-cat with grey smudges and dark green eyes**

**DEPUTY**

** Lionclaw- Big dark golden tom, with brown eyes**

**MEDICINE CAT**

** Softberry- Long-furred, pale grey she-cat, with soft green eyes. **

** Apprentice: Whitepaw- Pale grey tom with white ears and blue eyes**

**WARRIORS**

** Willowfrost- Long-legged black she-cat, with blue eyes**

** Gorseclaw- Dark brown tabby tom, with long claws, and pale amber eyes**

** Mossleaf- Dark tortoiseshell she-cat, with dark amber eyes **

** Redsky- Small, ginger-red she-cat, with bright green eyes**

** Harespring- Pale brown tom, with white tufts, and blue eyes**

** Goldenmist- Dark, golden dappled she-cat, with green eyes**

** Silverwing- Silver-grey she-cat, with pale blue eyes**

** Breezeice- Black she-cat with ice blue eyes**

** Hawktail-Mottled brown tom with amber eyes**

** Eaglefeather- Creamy brown she-cat, with brown flecks, paws, ears, and amber eyes**

** Skydrop- Dark smoky grey she-cat with ruffled fur and pale blue eyes**

** Feathershine- Long-furred, silver she-cat, with amber eyes**

** Adderfang- brown and white tom with blue eyes**

** Leopardberry- White she-cat with black spots and green eyes**

** Rivertail- Pale blue-grey tom with brown eyes**

** Sunstrike- Bright yellow tom with yellow eyes**

** Shrewtail- Brown and black tom with white dapples and yellow eyes**

** Heathersky- Small russet she-cat with dark green eyes**

** Needlesting- Small, lithe, black tom with amber eyes**

** Gingercloud- Orange tabby she-cat with pale orange flecks and dark yellow eyes**

** Snowshade- White she-cat with silver stripes and soft green eyes**

** Rosering- White she-cat with ginger ringed tail and blue eyes**

** Flameclaw- Orange tom with white tipped ears and amber eyes**

** Robinspot- Red-brown she-cat with brown spots and paws and green eyes**

** Aspenclaw- Silver tom with blue eyes and long tail **

** Patchear- Small, brown tabby tom with one white ear and amber eyes**

** Crystalheart- Yellow and white she-cat with blue eyes**

**APPRENTICES**

** Shadowpaw- Black she-cat with dark green eyes. Mentor- Harespring**

**QUEENS**

** Deerleap- Long-haired dark brown she-cat with dark green eyes**

**(Rockkit- Slick dark brown tom with dark green eyes**

** Cloudkit- Fluffy white and gray tom with amber eyes**

** Nightkit- Dark gray, almost black, she-cat with dark green eyes)**

**ELDERS**

** Foxtail- Large, reddish-brown tom, with amber eyes**

** Stoneheart-large solid grey tom, with grey eyes**

** Lightfoot-pale red-brown she-cat, with white streaks and paws, a twisted foot, and amber eyes**

**SHADOWCLAN**

**LEADER**

** Pinestar- Sleek black she-cat, with dark green eyes**

**DEPUTY**

** Marshclaw- Brown tabby tom with dark yellow eyes**

**MEDICINE-CAT**

** Ivycloud- Tiny black and white she-cat, with amber eyes**

**WARRIORS**

** Thistleleaf- Gray she-cat, with black spots, and amber eyes**

** Pineclaw- Ginger tom, with darker stripes, and blue eyes**

** Nightmoon- Long-legged, lithe, black she-cat, with yellow eyes**

** Swiftmoon- Long-legged, long-furred, lithe, milky-grey she-cat, with blue eyes**

** Hawkeye- Brown tabby tom, with lighter paws, and grey eyes**

** Flareclaw- Fluffy red tom, with green eyes**

** Spottedcloud- Calico she-cat, with a white chest, and bright green eyes**

** Twigleap- Pale brown tabby tom with lighter belly and blue eyes**

** Shinepool- Silky grey she-cat with white flecks and yellow eyes**

** Clawstripe- Black tom with two white stripes and blue eyes**

** Battlecry- Dark red she-cat with blue eyes**

** Blackfur- Black tom with blue eyes**

** Nettlepelt- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes**

** Shiverleaf- Scrawny grey tabby she-cat with green eyes**

** Dusttail- Dusty brown tom with white underbelly and yellow eyes**

** Thornheart- Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes**

** Songfall- Red she-cat with black paws and yellow eyes**

**APPRENTICES**

** Cloudpaw- White tom with grey patches and blue eyes**

**QUEENS**

** Sageleaf - Pale red she-cat with grey streaks and grey-green eyes. Expecting**

**ELDERS**

** Bramblesky- Small, thick furred, chestnut-brown she-cat, with broad shoulders and amber eyes with a hint of green in them**

** Mistcloud- Long-legged, smoky grey she-cat with one black forepaw, a white blaze on her face, and stormy blue eyes**

** Addertail- red, brown, and white mottled tom, with bright yellow eyes**

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER**

** Greystar- Old, pale grey tom, with darker ear tips, and dark blue eyes**

**DEPUTY**

** Rocksplash- Sleek, brown tabby she-cat, with pale amber eyes**

**MEDICINE-CAT**

** Leafcatcher- Light brown tabby she-cat with white chest, paws, and blaze with blue-purple eyes**

**WARRIORS**

** Rippleleaf- Dark grey and silver dappled she-cat, with dark amber eyes**

** Beechtail- Yellow-brown and white tom, amber eye**

** Paleclaw- Pale grey tom, with pale brown paws, and pale yellow eyes**

** Sreamtail- Silvery grey she-cat, with blue eyes**

** Shellclaw- Silver she-cat, with blue eyes**

** Lakesky- Smoky black she-cat, with clear blue eyes, deaf in one ear**

** Irisstem- White she-cat, with silver specks on haunches, and dark purple eyes**

** Blazestrike- Silver tom, with blazing orange eyes**

** Strikeclaw- Large white tom, with blue eyes**

** Rushstripe- Brown tabby tom, with orange stripes, and orange eyes**

** Iceberry- Silver she-cat, with white paws, and green eyes**

** Songbird- Black she-cat, with gray streaks, and blue eyes**

** Fuzzyfur- Pale brown and white tom, with fur that stands on end, and brown eyes**

** Wildflame- Dark grey she-cat, with messy fur, and orange eyes**

** Sandstripe- Pale yellow-brown tabby she-cat with white paws/underbelly/ears and amber eyes**

** Pikeclaw- Pale brown tabby with grey paws and yellow eyes**

** Lilybreeze- White she-cat with orange spots and blue eyes**

** Stonefoot- Hefty, grey tom with black paws and orange eyes**

** Berrystem- White she-cat with brown spots and green eyes**

** Beetlefoot- Slick black tom with blue eyes**

** Falconsong- Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes**

** Larkeye- Brown and white tom with blue eyes**

**APPRENTICES**

** Fallpaw- Dark grey she-cat with black paws, ears, and muzzle and blue eyes**

** Sheenpaw- Silver tom with orange eyes**

**QUEENS**

** Sandstripe- Pale yellow-brown she-cat with white paws, underbelly, ears and amber eyes**

**(Otterkit- Dark brown and white tom with amber eyes**

** Flakekit- Fluffy black she-cat with yellow eyes**

** Reedkit- Brown tabby tom with yellow paws and green eyes)**

**ELDERS**

** Petalwish- Dark golden she-cat, with white paws and underbelly, and amber eyes**

** Cloudyblossom- Silky white she-cat, with a feathery tail, and one brown and one amber eye **

** Stripeclaw- Pale brown tom, with darker brown stripes, and blue eyes**

** WINDCLAN**

**LEADER**

** Sootstar- Black she-cat with blue eyes**

**DEPUTY**

** Sheepfur- Fluffy white she-cat with pale blue eyes**

**MEDICINE-CAT**

** Falconeye- Dark brown tabby tom, with pale brown stripes, and blue eyes**

** (apprentice) Hoppaw- Pale ginger she-cat with white paws and green eyes**

**WARRIORS**

** Bouncefoot- Small bluish-silver she-cat, with orange eyes, and a short fluffy tail**

** Jadeheart- grey tabby she-cat, with blue-green eyes(former rogue)**

** Haretail- Pale brown tabby tom, with pale yellow eyes**

** Skyclaw- Dark grey she-cat with blue eyes.**

** Greeneye- Small, dark brown tabby tom, with bright leaf-green eyes**

** Briarberry- pale brown tabby she-cat, with amber eyes**

** Shrewfoot- Brown tabby tom, with yellow eyes**

** Birchfoot- Speckled pale grey tom, with blue eyes**

** Birdsong- Long-furred dark grey she-cat, with amber eyes**

** Driftflower- Grey and white tabby she-cat, with blue eyes**

** Wavestripe- Silver she-cat with striking black stripes and brown eyes**

** Streaktail- Brown tom, with a white blaze on one flank, and yellow eyes**

** Runningfoot- Lithe light brown tabby tom, with faint white paws, and sharp yellow eyes**

** Honeypool- Golden she-cat with grey paws and blue eyes**

** Buzzardclaw- Dark ginger tom with white ears and amber eyes**

**APPRENTICES**

** Quailpaw- Silver she-cat with odd brown spots and brown eyes**

** Tigerpaw- Black tom with yellow eyes**

** Claypaw- Dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes**

**QUEENS**

** Coldstare- Silver she-cat, with white paws, and ice blue eyes**

**(Badgerkit- Dark gray tom with white stripe down his spin and blue eyes**

** Frostkit- Silver and white tabby she-cat with warm yellow eyes)**

**...**

**Ah... Its nice to get that done, finally. Its still Monday right? whatever... can't keep track of that. **

**Please Review! **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello! so I managed to update this again pretty quick... can't say the same for my other story, sorry!**

**REVIEWS**

**"Leviathan48"- No problem! and for that... well, when cats get frustrated, they say things that don't mean anything. Like people :/**

**"Crowstar54"- Thanks!**

**"Catqstar"- Thank you!**

**"I Am Basic"- The cats in all, I may or may not mention every single one of them.**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Yeah...**

**"ShadowQuest"- Haha, yes she is**

**Cindermoon2002- Thanks! and no, I just try to update twice a week, hopefully I get it done and in.**

**ShadowHawk- I know! its so fun to write!**

**Angelflight- I have no idea, I hope I don't actually go in depth that far. And thanks!**

**AEIOU- I know! its going to be so fun! And mysteries are always fun, less fun when you know it... but still fun!**

**Dawnfeather- Yep! gotta solve the mysteries...**

**Chapter 5**

Shadowpaw flicked her tail restlessly, the full moon hung low in the scorched sky, the last dying rays of red and gold plastered on the darker background. She nodded at Crystalheart as she she-cat padded past with a friendly flick of her tail.

The dark murmurings which hung perpetually over the camp flitted around her sensitive ears. She could feel the trembles through the ground as a cat walked past, and her ears longed to flick restlessly and drink in the sounds, but she kept herself still and focused. She had enough trouble without being accused of being an eavesdropper.

Ever since the patrol had been attacked several days ago, a rumor had sprung up and things were as tense as ever, if not worse. The sharp glares of every single Bright supporter was visible at the edge of her vision. But she chose to keep their pricked gazes from touching her calm pool.

She glanced up as Harespring padded over to her, "Remember, even though you're going to the gathering, your final assessment will be held at sun-high, make sure you get plenty of rest when you return," her mentor told her.

Shadowpaw nodded, he wouldn't be on the gathering patrol, he'd enjoy a quiet evening without squabbling. Or that's what he said anyways. Shadowpaw rose to her paws and cautiously made her way around Adderfang and Leopardberry, ignoring the hostility in their hot gazes, just waiting for a chance to accuse her of something.

_ You won't find anything,_ she thought with a spurt of glee. She turned her head to see Stormstar emerge from her den. Escorted by Lionclaw, the two gave a powerful sense as they strolled through the dysfunctional Clan.

They strode and nodded as if nothing was wrong, as if the sense of comradeship was the same as it always had been. But just the way some cats returned just Lionclaw's nods, or just Stormstar's nods, showed how deeply the division ran. That some cats wouldn't even show respect to their deputy or leader.

Shadowpaw watched them pass, catching Stormstar's dark green gaze for a heartbeat. Then her leader gave her a curt nod and strode forward, her fur prickling just a little. _What?_ Shadowpaw wondered, looking after her leader with confusion. Then she shrugged, Stormstar was a little jumpy at the moment, maybe it had nothing to with her at all.

She fell in with the other cats as they left camp with Stormstar and Lionclaw in the lead. She sighed with dismay and annoyance as she found herself between Flameclaw and Aspenclaw, the two toms were the loudest and most annoying pair in the Clan. Not to mention she still resented Aspenclaw for stealing her prey.

"Planning on murdering any other Clan-mates?" Flameclaw sneered. Aspenclaw's gaze flashed for a moment with… what? Shock, surprise, anger, or resentment?

"I didn't murder any cat," Shadowpaw mewed calmly, looking around to see if Crystalheart was nearby. She sighed as she saw her friend deep in conversation with Skydrop on the other side of the patrol.

"No, but you must have been the accomplice, you were gone around the time the murder would have taken place. Did you hold Brightslash down while Blueshadow slashed her throat?" Flameclaw sneered.

Shadowpaw rolled her eyes and fixed her gaze on the stars, _StarClan save me from fools!_ "Unfortunately, your theory is flawed," Shadowpaw responded, taking an icy edge to her breezy voice.

"Oh yeah?" Aspenclaw challenged, bumping against her shoulder roughly.

"Yes, if that had happened, Blueshadow wouldn't be dead, would she? Also, there then would have been time to clean up the evidence, there wouldn't have been a murder, as far as the Clan was concerned," Shadowpaw began.

Aspenclaw glanced at her, his blue gaze flashing with admiration, as if he was impressed by her cool assessment of the theory. Flameclaw just growled, his white tipped ears twitching irritably. "Then why did you and Blueshadow leave the gathering patrol?" Flameclaw persisted.

Shadowpaw shrugged, "First off, I didn't leave with her, I saw her leaving and I followed her, but I lost her scent and couldn't find it again, then I went back to camp. As I already explained moons ago," Shadowpaw added with a hint of a growl.

Flameclaw snorted disbelievingly, then pulled ahead with a jerk of his head to signal Aspenclaw to follow. Shadowpaw sighed and dropped to the edge, glancing up in wariness as Leopardberry appeared, the she-cat was rigidly supportive of Brightslash.

She was surprised to see the black spotted cat looking sad and weary. "Don't you wish this had never happened?" the she-cat murmured, giving her a wary side-long glance.

"Every day," Shadowpaw murmured, matching Leopardberry's soft tone.

"I'd always been proud to know I was kin with the deputy, but Brightslash was such a promising warrior, every cat admired her, and I'll tell you truthfully, I was a little put out by Blueshadow's coldness to her. But Brightslash always seemed so nice to her, so I always supposed it must have been Blueshadow's fault. But honestly… I'm not sure of anything anymore," Leopardberry mewed, sounding more miserable then Shadowpaw could ever thought the edgy young warrior could be.

She realized she'd always sort of admired her. "I know how you feel," Shadowpaw mewed, giving her a friendly glance. "But I think we have to keep moving forward, the deaths are a long shadow on the Clan, we just have to move past it," Shadowpaw mewed quietly.

Leopardberry gave her a surprised glance, "Aren't you going to say Blueshadow is innocent?" the warrior mewed curiously.

Shadowpaw stiffened, was Leopardberry just trying to find a way to accuse her of something? Then she saw the genuine curiosity in her green eyes. Shadowpaw shrugged, "I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure," _except I was there._ "But I can't really imagine my mother as a murderer," _even though she broke the warrior-code._

She glanced at Leopardberry, realizing that since her mother was Mossleaf, who was half RiverClan, she carried RiverClan blood. _She definitely doesn't look RiverClan,_ the warrior's lean body and compact muscles matched the other tight muscled ThunderClan warriors.

Shadowpaw shrugged to herself, lots of cats had blood outside the Clan. Not that there was anything wrong with that as long as it didn't mess with loyalty. After all, what were the cats that had first started the Clans then just a bunch of rogues, kittypets, and loners?

"You know, Shadowpaw, you're alright. Thanks," Leopardberry mewed quietly, flicking her cheek gently with her tail as she padded away to talk with Rivertail. Shadowpaw felt a spurt of excitement, did that mean the Clan was finally getting ready to move on past this all?

Then she noticed the dark glares Leopardberry was receiving from Robinspot, Adderfang, and Shrewtail. _Looks like it'll take more time for others…_

But now they were at the gathering, cool moonlight bathed her tongue and flooded over the soft snow, edging it silver and the cold breeze that rolled from WindClan's territory slapped her in the face and ruffled her thick fur.

She sniffed deeply as they paused at the rim of the hollow. She was in the back so she couldn't see which Clans were there. But the scent signaled RiverClan and ShadowClan. The cats topped over the hollow and spilled down into the clearing that was sheltered by the four ancient oaks.

Shadowpaw immediately broke off to a small group of apprentices from ShadowClan and RiverClan. "Hello, Cloudpaw," she mewed, greeting the only ShadowClan apprentice. His blue eyes sparkled and his grey patches over his white fur gleamed like soft fog.

She'd never admit it to any cat, but she thought he was cute. Not to say she was going to fall head over heels for him, just that he was cute and more friendly then half her Clan-mates.

She nodded at the RiverClan apprentices, there were only two, a brother and sister. She remembered seeing Fallpaw, the dark gray she-cat with black muzzle, paws, ears, and tail-tip, on the other side of the river when she talked to Greystar. She'd also spoken to her a few times at other gatherings.

"Hey, Shadowpaw!" Fallpaw greeted her cheerfully, her blue eyes gleaming with friendliness. Her brother just simply nodded at her curtly, not that Sheenpaw was anything but icy, but still, he could greet her more then that! His silver fur gleamed like starlight and his orange eyes were glassy and shiny, as if filmed by ice.

Shadowpaw ignored him but nodded at Cloudpaw again. "How's life in ShadowClan?" she asked, they'd been apprenticed at about the came time, so she was surprised he wasn't a warrior yet, but he would have said something if he had been made a warrior.

Cloudpaw scowled, "It would be fine if I hadn't had to wait for my warrior's assessment because my mentor moved to the nursery and my new mentor gave me a whole new set of things to do differently," he growled.

Shadowpaw's whiskers twitched. "Spottedcloud's expecting kits?" she asked innocently.

Cloudpaw grumbled something inaudible, "Isn't that what I just said?" he snapped louder, though his eyes prickled with self-consciousness. Shadowpaw purred and flicked his ear with her fox-thick tail.

"I was just joking," she purred soothingly. "So who's your new mentor?" she asked more briskly, realizing Fallpaw and Sheenpaw were sharing amused glances.

"Marshclaw," Cloudpaw puffed his chest up with pride at being the deputy's apprentice.

Shadowpaw blinked, impressed, "Wow! That's cool," she mewed. Fallpaw murmured an agreement.

"So? Lots of cats had the deputy as a mentor, the leader is the important one," Sheenpaw muttered.

Shadowpaw rolled her eyes, even though he didn't speak much, when he did, he was often quite rude. "Not that _you_ even got the _leader or deputy_ as a mentor," Shadowpaw mewed scathingly, hanging onto her words for a while longer.

Sheenpaw snorted, though she saw the flash of amusement light his orange gaze. "So, what's the news in RiverClan, then?" Cloudpaw spoke up behind her, pushing up to her side. She flinched inwardly as his pelt brushed hers and he jumped away a little.

"Not much," Sheenpaw mewed curtly, but Fallpaw pushed forward.

"We have a new deputy!" she squealed excitedly. "Its-"

"Hush!" a RiverClan elder snapped as she padded past, Shadowpaw thought it was Cloudyblossom, a three-mark scar covering her eye and ear. Other then that, the cat looked like she had once been beautiful.

"Sorry," Fallpaw muttered, shuffling her paws and Sheenpaw gave her a hard nudge. At that moment WindClan arrived and two small, young cats streaked over to them, pulling up in front of them. Shadowpaw recognized Quailpaw and Tigerpaw, who had become apprentices at the last gathering with their brother. _The good thing about being the only apprentice is that I go to every gathering._

The small, wiry WindClan cats looked even skinnier then usual. _Leaf-bare is showing its effects,_ suddenly realizing how her own black pelt was stretched tightly over her ribs, the pit of hunger in her belly almost normal.

Quailpaw nodded at the older apprentice's nervously, her silver pelt was spotted with a few odd brown spots that matched the shade of her brown eyes. Tigerpaw was more bold with his black pelt and blazing yellow eyes.

"Hey! Guess what happened in WindClan?" the apprentice asked, bouncing around them.

"I wouldn't know what happened in another Clan, mouse-brain," Cloudpaw muttered, rolling his eyes at Shadowpaw and giving an exaggerated sigh. Shadowpaw stifled a giggle, the bubbly feeling in her lighting in her paws.

"Sheepfur retired! We have a new deputy," Tigerpaw purred. Quailpaw nudged him harshly.

"Its nothing to celebrate," she scolded her brother.

"You have a new deputy too?" Fallpaw asked, exchanging a surprised glance with Sheenpaw. It was unusual to get two new deputies in the same moon.

Tigerpaw turned away from his sister to look at the RiverClan cats quizzically, "What do you mean 'too?'" the apprentice asked in confusion.

Shadowpaw rolled her eyes at Cloudpaw this time. His whiskers twitched. "Hey, want to meet my mentor?" Cloudpaw asked, pulling her away from the other apprentices.

Shadowpaw hesitated, she didn't really want to see Marshclaw, not since he'd found her on his territory, but she didn't want Cloudpaw think she was too scared to talk to a deputy. "Okay," she agreed.

Cloudpaw weaved his way through the cats who were shifting their paws on the cold snow and sharing tongues and stories. He came to a halt to where Marshclaw stood with Gingercloud. The small, fluffy orange she-cat was explaining something. The two cat close, almost brushing fur.

Shadowpaw paused with Cloudpaw and she exchanged a confused glance with him. _Marshclaw doesn't love Gingercloud, right? That couldn't happen, there's another reason why Marshclaw likes those littermates, right?_

"Marshclaw, this is Shadowpaw," Cloudpaw introduced her, looking anxious, as if he wasn't sure bringing a strange apprentice to his new mentor had been a great idea.

Marshclaw glanced up sharply at her name and Shadowpaw forced her uneasiness away. This was a gathering, she had every right to be here. His dark yellow gaze traveled over her and he gave a slight nod. "We've met, how is your training going, Shadowpaw?" Marshclaw asked, scooting away from Gingercloud.

"Fine, my final assessment is tomorrow," she mewed. Cloudpaw gasped with surprise.

"Lucky! Why didn't you tell me?" he muttered under his breath. Shadowpaw shrugged apologetically as Marshclaw turned away and Gingercloud stared after him in puzzlement.

"Strange cats," Gingercloud muttered. Shadowpaw purred as she turned away, her plumy tail swishing over the ground, her cream colored tabby markings gleaming silver. If Marshclaw did love Gingercloud, he was wasting his time.

Shadowpaw jerked her head up as the leaders called the Clans together. She and Cloudpaw settled down between their Clans. She sat down just far away that their pelts weren't touching, but his warmth was still felt on her fur.

She watched intently as the elderly Pinestar stepped forward. Her black muzzle turned almost white with age. _She'll be dead before new-leaf swings around,_ she thought. But Pinestar raised her head with authority, her dark green eyes, though dull with age, still demanded attention.

"I regret to report that one of our elders, Addertail, has passed into StarClan, his wisdom and knowledge is a loss to his Clan," Pinestar spoke. She went on to report that Spottedcloud, Cloudpaw's former mentor, had moved to the nursery.

Then Stormstar took Pinestar's place, her gray smudged patches lit up on her smoky blue fur. There were no new changes in positions, and no threats on the border, so the report was quick and insignificant.

Then Greystar strode forward, not looking much younger then Pinestar. "Our warrior, Streamtail, has died of green-cough, but the rest of the Clan remains strong," Greystar began. Shadowpaw noticed the sharp glint of sadness as he reported the glib she-cat's death. _Why did she mean so much to him?_

She pricked her ears and searched around, finding the RiverClan warriors nearby muttering sadly. "Streamtail was Greystar's first apprentice, it was hard for him to let her go," the elder, Stripeclaw, was muttering to a younger warrior.

_ So that's it,_ Shadowpaw turned her attention back to the report. Greystar reported that Rippletail had moved to the elders den and that the young warrior, Berrystem, was expecting kits. Shadowpaw shifted impatiently, she wanted to know who the new deputy was!

Finally, Greystar took a deep breath, "Our former deputy, Rocksplash, has retired as well. We wish her many well moons in the elders den," he announced, a few friendly murmurs drifted from the Clan, but Shadowpaw was too intent on who the new deputy was to join in.

"Our new deputy is Iceberry," Shadowpaw blinked in surprise, _I thought it'd be Blazestrike for sure!_ She thought, glancing at the silver tom with his blazing orange eyes that had given him his name. But he didn't look upset, and cheered for his Clan-mate warmly, not annoyed that his widely spoken of strength and skill had been passed over for this nobody cat.

Shadowpaw tried to remember anything about Iceberry, as she looked at the silver she-cat with dainty white paws and gray-green eyes, like the color of frosted leaves. But as she saw how Iceberry carried herself and looked at the gathered cats with calm authority, she realized that perhaps Iceberry would make a good deputy, and possibly leader.

Then Sootstar stepped forward, the older she-cat's muzzle was lined with silver. _Every leader is old, except Stormstar._ She though with a twinge of annoyance, it was time already for the next generation to take over running the Clans! These cats were from Blueshadow's generation, and she was dead, and they would soon be as well.

Sootstar had little to report, except for the new deputy, announcing that Sheepfur had retired after a broken paw had failed to heal well. "Our new deputy is…" Shadowpaw gazed at the scrawny WindClan cats, her eyes focusing on the one she thought would be deputy. "Is Driftflower."

Shadowpaw nodded, Driftflower was the only WindClan cat to show any ambition greater then a normal warrior. She watched the gray and white tabby, her cool blue eyes reminded Shadowpaw of the sky as it turned from dusk to night.

After that, Sootstar announced that Hoppaw, the medicine-cat apprentice, had received her full name, Hopleaf. Then the gathering broke up, Shadowpaw mewed a hasty goodbye to Cloudpaw, enjoying his rumbling purr one last time for the moon.

Then she joined up with her Clan-mates as they started heading back to camp. She paused half-way up the hollow, ice shivering down her spine as she felt herself being watched. Turning, she saw a pair of dark yellow eyes focused on her, narrowed and unreadable.

Shadowpaw shrugged off Marshclaw's stare and ducked behind Rivertail, glad that the sense faded as they padded into their own territory. But the look still troubled her, _he knows I'm looking for his secrets… what will he do to keep me from finding them?_

**...**

**So, finally, a gathering, had to do that, and new deputy's, can't have old cats becoming leaders! Ahem. I just realized I totally messed up my system of writing... guh! now I have to fix it somehow...**

**Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello! haha, I finally got one up on time! (according to my schedule anyways)**

**REVIEWS**

**"Leviathan48"- Yep**

**"Birdflame"- Yeah, well, elderly leaders aren't as good and it doesn't make sense to make an almost elder a leader. **

**Angelflight- I know! after writing about these cats as young cats its hard for me to picture them as old!**

**Shadowhawk- I don't know, and even if I did, I couldn't tell you.**

**Dawntreader- thanks! and yes, Blueshadow took one of Pinestar's lives, but Pinestar had one left. **

**Mouseydragonwolf- Yes, homework, that pesky thing in life. And I just remember who is who, its easier when you write it.**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Thank you!**

**Dawnfeather- I know, right? at least its only Marshclaw though**

**"ShadowQuest2000"- No cat's perfect. **

**"Crowstar54"- Haha, you insulted every old person on the planet, my grandpa would have choice words for you ;)**

**AEIOU- I know! and no, Marshclaw is not crushing on his half-sister... Haha, funny song :)**

**Chapter 6**

"You must make three catches before dusk, and one must be in the trees," Harespring was mewing, giving her the instructions of her assessment. They sat in the training hollow, the sun dancing off the snow.

_ Three pieces of prey? Easy… I've been doing that for the elders for two moons straight._ Nodding to herself, she raced out of the training hollow, heading to Tall-Pines. She preferred hunting there, and since Harespring had not specified a place…

For a moment, she let her heart go light as she raced against the swooping shadow of a swallow, heading in the same direction as she was, keeping pace with the soaring bird as it led out a chirp. As she neared the Tall-Pines, she put on a spurt of speed and leapt at a tree, scooting herself up without pausing for a heartbeat.

She slowed her breath as the swallow flew closer… closer… landing on a branch not more then a tail-length away. The cold air suddenly clung to her as she waggled her haunches, her first catch would be quick and easy.

Leaping from one branch to another, she trapped the swallow under her long, curled claws. She made quick work of snapping its neck, and then dropped down to the forest floor. Glancing around, she sniffed suspiciously. Content that no Bright supporters were in the area, she hid it in a socket in the ground.

She padded on into Tall-Pines, the snow less then a paw thick here and the carpet of green needles was soft and its aroma drifted around her along with the echoing silence that enveloped her, the far-off noises floating like strange music to her.

She sniffed the air, not catching anything, she stalked forward, halting as she caught the scent of mouse. Dropping into a low, neat crouch, she made sure she was downwind and crept around, as silent as a shadow drifting over the ground, her masked green eyes fixed on the small brown creature.

She crept right up to the mouse, darting forward and slashing its tiny throat with a swift, clean movement. Not leaving more then a speck of blood on the ground. Then carried her mouse back to her swallow, carefully making sure it was untouched along with the air, her fur prickling with anger.

_ I shouldn't have to be worried that my Clan-mates would steal my prey!_ Misery washed over her for a moment as she turned back to the dark woods, heading toward the mushroom patch. The stench of the toadstools wafted toward her and she made a wide ark around it, sniffing hopefully around the small briar patch of blackberries.

She pricked her ears at a tiny snuffling sound, she sniffed and found her prey, a plump shrew digging around the snow and pine needles. Swiftly dropping into a crouch, she pounced, trapping it between her midnight black paws and snapping its tiny neck.

_ There! Three pieces of prey, and the sun is only just ducking behind the clouds!_ She thought with a rush of pride and excitement. _I'm going to be a warrior! This is what I've worked so hard for!_

Then she stiffened as she felt a slight tremble in the ground that quickly grew stronger. Shivering slightly, she dropped her prey and opened her mouth to breath in a rank scent that set her fur on edge.

She snatched up her prey and raced away just as barking exploded behind her, the dog spotted her and the large golden canine bounded after her, its tongue lolling and its long, shaggy fur bouncing with its running steps.

Fear gave her the edge as she raced no more then a tail-length in front of the dog. She glanced at the trees around her, the pines branches were too far up for her to climb up quickly enough and the smooth bark wouldn't help.

She yelped as her paws slipped on the snow, her heart thudding in her throat as she sprinted forward and heard the dog's jaws snap shut just behind her. Sprinting forward, her mind ran frantic with thoughts. Her warrior ceremony pushed out of her mind.

_ Dogs, uh, they are fast, strong, and deadly… Their weakness are… they can't climb trees, because, they're, they are… Clumsy! Right!_ Focusing on what she could use to her advantage now, she took a gulping breath and slid on her paws to her side, slipping through the snow on her side she twisted her paws around, her claws scrabbling as she pulled herself up and pushed herself forward around the trees.

She heard a whine and saw the dog slither onto its side as its clumsy paws slipped on the icy snow. But it wasn't small and it couldn't get back to its paws as quick as Shadowpaw had. The black apprentice, confident now, led the dog back to where she'd encountered it, guessing its Twolegs would be around there.

With the dog several fox-lengths behind her, she managed to take a flying leap at a pine as she had earlier that day, and scrambled up, whisking her tail out of the way just in time. She stood on the branch and faced the dog, her fur fluffed up and a vicious growl rumbling in her throat.

She purred to herself as she heard the roars and snappy high-pitched voices as two twolegs bundled over to the dog, heavily wrapped in thick pelts and shouting angrily at the dog who continued barking and straining against the twine that the twolegs had attached to it's collar and dragged it away.

Shadowpaw let out a heavy sigh. _Well that makes my final assessment memorable. Though I guess I had wanted to race a dog, and now it won't look purposeful to Harespring._ She thought, looking around for her mentor.

She spotted his pale tabby pelt through the shadows, the white tufts on his large ears twitching with relief as he spotted her and hurried over to her. "Shadowpaw! Are you okay? I saw the dog chase you and couldn't keep up," Harespring gasped, his blue eyes round with relief.

"I'm fine," she shrugged off her mentor and dropped the shrew she'd refused to drop. "It was almost fun," she mewed, twitching her whiskers as Harespring rolled his eyes.

"Is the dog gone?" Harespring asked, looking around with his ears pricked.

Shadowpaw nodded, "Its twolegs came and got it," she mewed, shaking a clump of muddy snow off her thick furred paws. "I still passed my assessment though, right?" she asked, almost desperately.

Harespring purred and flicked his tail over her ears. "You caught the prey didn't you? And your skills are as good as any warrior, you even finally mastered that one move you were having trouble on," Harespring mewed, blinking his eyes proudly.

Shadowpaw purred, just two days ago she'd finally managed to do the leap-and-pin well enough to pin Harespring in practice. Although, she knew her paws were a little too sloppy to ever be confident to use it in battle.

Shadowpaw was suddenly aware of how the shadows slanted through the ground, the snow flooded by fiery red light. It was dusk. The chill in the air mingled with the dusty smell of dusk, the earth ready to be cooled and refreshed by night.

"Lets head back to camp for your warrior ceremony," Harespring mewed, turning away, his tail waving behind him.

** …**

Shadowpaw sat in front of an icy surface, watching her reflection dance on its surface, her thick fur sleek on her slender frame. Her dark green eyes, as shadowed as the pines, glowed hollow and were framed by her raven-black fur. Her tail, long and thick as a fox's, wrapped around her wide paws.

She tried to remember what her mother looked like, _we looked nothing alike._ Her mother had been small and thin, fragile looking as a kit. Her dark blue fur like shadows on snow and her green eyes glowed like forest light, her long tail had been feathery and plumy, not thick. But her mother had been a brilliant fighter and hunter.

_ Not like me,_ she thought ruefully. She was a good hunter and all, but she doubted she'd ever be as good as fighting as her mother, Blueshadow had a gift for fighting, or so every cat said. She glanced up from the corner of the clearing to see Stormstar calling the Clan together.

Pride and nervousness battled in her belly and she joined Harespring as her mentor escorted her to the front of the gathered cats. His fur was freshly groomed and his eyes shone with pride. Shadowpaw's own fur was groomed and was jet-black, no shimmer on her fur at all.

She hardly heard as Stormstar went through the naming rituals, the wind roaring in her ears as she leaned forward and waited for her time to come forward.

"Shadowpaw, come forward," Stormstar mewed. The black apprentice padded forward to stand in front of her leader and half-sister. "StarClan," Stormstar mewed, lifting her eyes to the first star appearing in the gray sky.

"This apprentice has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn," Stormstar turned her thoughtful green gaze on Shadowpaw, the black apprentice was holding her breath as the Clan looked on, recognizing how important it was in every tense muscle in the soon-to-be-warrior.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior-code and protect and defend your Clan even at the cost of your life?" Stormstar asked.

"Yes," Shadowpaw responded, her eyes fixed on Stormstar, truth vibrating through her voice and carrying over the Clan, relaxing ruffled fur and giving flickers of optimism.

"Then I give you your warrior name, Shadowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Shadowfern, StarClan honors your intelligence and dedication," Stormstar announced, touching Shadowfern's head with her muzzle.

Shadowfern, her head buzzing with excitement, licked Stormstar's shoulder respectively and stepped back besides Harespring who raised his muzzle and chanted her new name to the darkening sky.

"Shadowfern! Shadowfern! Shadowfern!" the echoes filled her ear, and she could almost ignore the dark muttering at the edges of her senses and the empty air where voices should have filled in.

** …**

Shadowfern yawned, stretching her legs in turn and curling tightly on the cold snow to keep herself warm. The first milky gray streaks of dawn announced where the sun would presently be rising, it gave her hope that the long, cold night of her vigil would be ending.

She glanced up at a rustling and saw her brother, Whitepaw, stick his nose out the fern tunnel, his blue eyes finding her and he nodded once before pulling his head back in. Shadowfern's fur prickled.

Whitepaw hadn't come to congratulate her, in fact, she'd seen him go right back to the medicine-cat clearing with Softberry after the ceremony was over. It chilled her, so what if they weren't as close as they had once been? They could still be distant and friendly, right?

She sighed, she was so busy digging up Blueshadow's old mysteries that she didn't have time for any of the present ones. She shook out her ruffled fur, watching the sky slowly turn golden edged, the light gradually covering the entire sky, plastering the clouds rosy pink.

She watched through narrowed eyes as Stormstar emerged from her den, her fur slick flat as usual, and pad over to her. "Your vigil is over," Stormstar mewed, her whiskers twitching as Shadowfern gave a sigh of relief.

Shadowfern got to her paws, ready to go to her den, but Stormstar put her tail out. "Would you come with me on a quick walk?" her leader asked.

Shadowfern hesitated, she was tired from two nights spent awake in a row, but she couldn't say no to her leader, and though she was no longer an apprentice, her curiosity still edged her. "Okay," she agreed, giving her almost numb paws a quick lick. _Just last a little longer!_ She willed them, following Stormstar into the gray forest.

As they reached the top of the ravine, Shadowfern narrowed her eyes against the flooding golden light. "Blueshadow didn't like the sun either," Stormstar commented, sounding amused. Not that Shadowfern could see her expression, her eyes dazzled by the light.

"I like the sun," Shadowfern defended herself, "I just don't like it so bright and in my eyes," she mewed.

Stormstar laughed a little. "Have you heard what some of the other cats have been saying about you?" Stormstar asked hesitantly, sitting down with her back to the rising sun, her eyes scanning the forest whose bare branches were just be stained with light.

"You mean how they call me an accomplice to Brightslash's murder? And a traitor to every Clan? Let me think…" Shadowfern trailed off in a growl. "Yeah, its pretty hard when half the Clan shoots hatred at me and growls it under their breath every time they see me," Shadowfern growled.

Stormstar sighed. "You have sharper senses like Blueshadow, you seem to know more then you should, and you were gone while the murders took place; it does make you look suspicious," Stormstar conceded.

Shadowfern shook her head irritably, the golden light failed to sparkle on her black paws like it would on Needlesting's or Breezeice's fur. "Whatever, I know I didn't do it, I don't care what any other cat thinks," she muttered.

Stormstar gave her a sharp glance. "You should, in a Clan, what effects one, effects us all," Stormstar mewed crisply.

Shadowfern shrugged and sat down with her paws plucking at the ground. "I haven't done anything wrong and they know it! I just- its just so difficult," she sighed at last.

Stormstar glanced at her sympathetically. "I think its because you remind every cat of Blueshadow, as if she's still living with us, and they want to blame some cat for the deaths," Stormstar shrugged.

Shadowfern looked at her leader in confusion. "Why would I remind any cat of Blueshadow? We don't look alike, and I'm not a good fighter like her or can I match her skills even remotely," Shadowfern mewed.

Stormstar frowned, "I don't know why, but you just seem to have an… essence, that reminds every cat of Blueshadow… I'm not sure how to explain it," Stormstar mewed.

Shadowfern sighed, her head was tired and her legs hurt from running from the dog yesterday. She wanted to sleep now and think later. "You must be exhausted, go on and sleep, I just want you ready for patrol by sun-high," Stormstar mewed gently, catching her sigh.

Shadowfern nodded in relief. Padding back down the ravine, her paws hardly made a sound as she leapt down and padded into camp. Lionclaw was arousing the dawn patrol, unfortunately a group of Bright supporters.

"Gonna murder us in our sleep now?" Adderfang jeered, his eyes glittering with spite. Shadowfern eyed him warily and shuffled past him.

A few sneered mutters were all she heard as she padded into the warriors den. She looked around in confusion for a moment. Everywhere she looked there were nests of Bright supports, and she definitely didn't want to sleep near them.

Then a pale blue tom raised his head and blinked at her friendly. "There's room over here," Rivertail offered.

Shadowfern nodded thankfully and padded over him, carefully stepping over a snoring Shrewtail. If she stepped on him, she'd be hearing about it all day. Pausing by Rivertail, she saw a small, rough nest of moss made close to his nest.

"I couldn't do much more then that last night," Rivertail mewed, an apology in his mew.

"Its fine," she mewed, curling tiredly in her nest, her thick tail warm and sweeping past her muzzle. Her curled side brushed Rivertail's, but she didn't mind, and by his soft murmurs, he didn't mind either.

But she was all to aware that slowly, as the den awoke, the glares and angry mutters directed at her as she dozed in their den. It kept her from falling into sleep. Eventually, she felt Rivertail rise from her side and brush his tail over her shoulder as he padded past, it sprung a feeling of excitement in her belly. But she kept her eyes closed and her breath slow.

Gradually she fell into a fitful sleep that replenished some of her energy. Finally rising since she was getting too restless to try to sleep any longer, she brushed the dust and moss scraps out of her fur and pushed her way out of the mostly empty den.

Blinking against the bright light that reflected off the snow twice as strong, she padded over the Lionclaw, head down to block the light from her eyes and tail twitching irritably behind her. "Do you need me for anything?" she asked the deputy.

"Ah, yes, would you take some food to the medicine-cats, and then you can join Willowfrost's hunting patrol," Lionclaw mewed, nodding at his black sister who was sharing tongues with Redsky.

"Of course," Shadowfern mewed, feeling lucky. This would giver her an opportunity to talk to her brother. Darting to the fresh-kill pile, she hauled a large, plump squirrel off with a smaller mouse and headed down the snowy fern tunnel and into the snow-covered clearing.

"Is that poultice ready yet?" Softberry was calling.

"Yes, I'll also take some poppy seeds for the pain in Stoneheart's shoulder," her brother's bright mew answered back.

She saw her brother's gray tabby pelt like an ashy spot on the clean snow. He halted when he saw her with the prey and dropped his leaf packet. "Softberry! Shadowp-er- Shadowfern has brought us prey," he called over his shoulder.

"Well thank her and get a move on!" the lightly edged voice of Softberry answered the call.

Whitepaw turned back to her, his eyes guarded. "Thank you," he mewed curtly. Shadowfern sighed as her brother snatched up his leaf packet and brushed past her, his taller and fuller form making her stumble as he brushed past her.

_ I'm not that big, but still! He meant to do that! _She thought hotly, shaking the snow from her paws and looking after her brother's gray tail-tip. _What did I do that made him angry?_

Frowning, she stifled the tinge of pain at her heart. She refused to feel miserable at her brother's emotions, but she thought surface anyways. _Why does it seem half the Clan hates me when I didn't even do anything?_

Sighing, she knew thinking about it wouldn't help. So with a called goodbye to Softberry who was still in the dark den, she padded out through the fern tunnel and into the clearing to join Willowfrost's hunting patrol.

**...**

**She's a warrior! I'm so proud, they grow up so fast... I need another story and new characters...**

**Please Review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello!**

**REVIEWS**

**"Shimmerfang"- Yeah, your right**

**"Leviathan48"- Hmm... its an idea**

**Dawnfeather- Thanks! and things always get worse before getting better!**

**ShadowHawk- Lots of story ideas actually**

**"pianodevotion"- Hmm, maybe, but I think I'd rather do something completely new**

**"rainpool77"- He has his reasons. **

**"Crowstar54"- Yeah, I don't usually like adding too many Twoleg cat scenes. **

**Mouseydragonwolf- Thanks! it took a lot of thought to come up with Shadowfern though. **

**Cindermoon2002- Did I? sorry, and that mystery will be solved, probably.**

**Opal090- Well, Softberry knows Blueshadow is in StarClan, and hasn't seen Brigthslash, I think I said she and Whitepaw didn't take sides**

**AEIOU- Yep, bad kitties are fun, almost as much as being a warrior**

**"Shadowquest2000"- Thanks! and that's a long time sitting in a theater!**

**"Catstar"- Uh, the medicine-cat apprentice and Shadowfern's only living littermate. **

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Shadowfern says thanks!**

**Chapter 7**

Shadowfern narrowed her eyes and stretched up her muzzle until it touched the silver moonlight. "What are you doing?" Shadowfern glanced back at Crystalheart.

Shadowfern bristled with embarrassment. "Moonlight smells good," she muttered under her breath.

Crystalheart snorted. "Surree," the warrior mewed with amusement.

Shadowfern fluffed up her tail, "Lets just get back to hunting," Shadowfern mewed. They hadn't been able to sleep, so they'd gone out to hunt for a while.

Shadowfern sniffed the cold air, wispy clouds, illuminated by the moon, drifted across the night sky. She flicked her tail as she caught the scent of squirrel and angled her ears at the shuffling little creature. Crystalheart crept over to the other side of the squirrel and leapt out, snarling and blocking the escape of the trees.

The squirrel, terrified, then ran right into Shadowfern's waiting paws and she caught it quickly. "Good job!" Crystalheart called.

Shadowfern nodded, "I wouldn't have caught it without you though," she mewed, not wanting to take credit of the whole catch.

Crystalheart nodded, then shivered as snow fell on top of her back. "Maybe we should go back to camp now, so we're not too tired for patrol tomorrow," the yellow cat mewed.

Shadowfern hesitated, she wasn't ready to go back to camp and hear the angry snaps of the warriors. But she knew Crystalheart was right, so she sighed and followed her friend through the snowy forest, the black shadows formed by the trees on the snow molded onto her fur as she padded through them.

"So, you and Rivertail? You two have been spending quite a bit of time together," Crystalheart purred over her shoulder, blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

Shadowfern felt hot under her fur and gave a noncommittal grunt, angling toward the squirrel in her jaws as an excuse not to respond. Though it was true, in the half moon since she'd been made a warrior Rivertail had spent a lot of time with her. And she didn't mind his company in hunting or talking, he made her feel warm and happy.

Then they were padding into camp, nodding at the guard, Breezeice, who nodded curtly at them. Shadowfern laid the squirrel on the left over fresh-kill pile and padded to the warriors den.

She paused as she heard murmurs. _Murmurs?_ it was the middle of the night! Padding over to the apprentices den, where the noise seemed to be coming from, her fur prickled as she saw Nettlesting and Rosering curled in a nest together, talking quietly to each other.

_ Look at that, they came up with a way to be with each other without any other cat knowing._ Shadowfern twitched her whiskers as she withdrew her head. _Cute._ But it felt wrong that two cats would have to hide their love when they were in the same Clan. There was nothing in the warrior-code keeping them apart, just bad feelings.

Shadowfern headed back to the warriors den, ducking into her nest and pressing her forest-cold pelt against Rivertail's sleepy warm one. She felt him shift and his warmth flooded her as he curled around her, one of his paws stretched over her flank. Slowing her breathing, she fell into the warmth and comfort.

** …**

Shadowfern yawned as a paw prodded her. "Dawn Patrol," the voice growled. She looked up and blinked in surprise to see Adderfang. _I thought patrols were separated by opinions._

Her fur prickled as she saw Robinspot and Patchear padding out. _This is going to be a long patrol,_ Shadowfern thought with a sigh. Padding out, she saw the first milky rays of yellow light growing on the distant horizon.

"Lets get going," Adderfang growled, his breath a puff of air in the cold early morning.

Shadowfern stretched luxuriously and nodded at him. "Lead on," she muttered. Adderfang eyed her with an unreadable expression and Robinspot and Patchear swapped almost regretful looks. Regretful? She wasn't sure, but all three of them were nervous.

_ Nervous_ _about what?_ The fur prickled along her spine as she imagined them attacking and killing her or driving her from Clan territory. She looked around for Lionclaw, and saw him watching with a worried shadow in his eyes.

Shadowfern trailed at the back of the patrol as they padded through Tall-Pines, all quiet on the border, and hurried to the RiverClan border, the sun just glimpsing over the horizon behind them. They slowed as they neared Sunningrocks, the fur of the three other cats prickling and Shadowfern tasted the air.

It smelled of RiverClan, but no more then what would be expected from this close to the border. "What's wrong?" she almost cried, desperate to know what the other cats knew.

No one answered or even looked back at her, but she thought she saw Patchear's tail tremble. This was the kit she'd grown up with! She should have been able to trust him, but she didn't. Dread filled her as Adderfang turned to look back at her, Robinspot and Patchear standing with him.

"Shadowfern, you finish up here and we'll meet you along the gorge, Lionclaw wanted us to check something.

She swallowed hard, cats never split up so unevenly in a patrol of the border. _They want me to be all by myself on the RiverClan border…_ She couldn't help but remember the RiverClan patrol that had ambushed Gorseclaw's patrol last moon. The Bright supporters had found sympathy in RiverClan.

Shadowfern watched her Clan-mates leave, then continued up the border, she'd face whatever trap they'd laid. _I'll return to ThunderClan, I refuse to die today!_

But she was still caught off guard as two slippery pelted warriors jumped out of the bushes on the RiverClan side of the border and tumbled her to the ground. She flailed with her paws, but her claws slipped harmlessly through the slick fur and a paw clouted her head, scraping claws down her ear and red blood stained her black fur.

She kicked out, but barely pushed her attackers more then a paw-step away and teeth grabbed her tail, yanking her off balance, while a set of paws forced her shoulders against the ground and she laid exposed on her back.

Breath coming in gasps, she spotted Stonefoot holding her shoulders and Falconsong biting her tail. "I never crossed your border," Shadowfern growled through her fear, glaring up at Stonefoot.

"True," Stonefoot nodded. "But its been said you helped murder a Clan-mate, we don't want any cats in the Clans like that," Stonefoot growled, flattening his ears.

"I never killed any cat!" Shadowfern wailed desperately, struggling to get out of Stonefoot's strong grip.

"We've been told there's strong evidence that you did," Stonefoot growled.

Shadowfern flashed with rage. _Making up lies to curry favor!_ "That's because cats lie!" she hissed.

"And how do we know you aren't lying?" Stonefoot growled, thrusting his claws into her shoulders. Shadowfern clenched her teeth against the agonizing pain.

"Fine!" she spat, eyes flaming with pain. "Kill me! But the blood of an innocent cat will be on your paws when you die and are judged by StarClan!" she hissed.

Stonefoot hesitated, his grip loosening and Falconsong's teeth only held her tail limply. Stonefoot glanced at Falconsong, eyes wary. "Are we really willing to kill a cat with so little evidence?" Falconsong murmured, letting go of Shadowfern's tail.

Stonefoot sighed and shook his head, "We agreed to this, we have to do it," he mewed.

"But we're a rival Clan, we really don't have to do anything we don't want to," Falconsong argued with a flick of her tail.

Stonefoot nodded and glanced down at Shadowfern sharply. "We'll wait and hear what evidence your Clan-mates say there is against you," Stonefoot growled, retracting his claws.

Shadowfern shook out her fur as she jumped to her paws. "They'll tell you lies, of course. But the only real evidence against me is that I was out of camp at the time of the murders, as were several other cats," Shadowfern mewed sharply.

The two RiverClan cats shifted their paws. "If you are guilty, you'll be punished, so don't forget it," Stonefoot growled.

Shadowfern waved her tail, turning her back on the RiverClan warriors. "Then I have nothing to worry about," she mewed breezily. "And you have five heartbeats to get off my territory before I report you to Stormstar," she mewed, listening to the hasty retreating paws leave.

She nodded to herself, quickly cleaning the blood from her ear and shoulders, the scratches weren't too deep. She'd ask Whitepaw for something later. _But now, I need to go find my oh-so-friendly Clan-mates…_

** …**

Shadowfern found them muttering anxiously by Fourtrees. They jumped in surprise when she arrived, glaring hatred at them. "Would you care to tell me why two RiverClan warriors just tried to kill me just after you left me all by myself on the border?" Shadowfern growled, sitting down and watching them through narrowed eyes.

Robinspot swallowed nervously and glanced anxiously at Adderfang. But it was Patchear who stepped forward. "I'm glad you're okay, I guess we all kind of realized that killing you would make us as bad as Blueshadow, and Brightslash wouldn't want that," Patchear mewed.

Shadowfern's ear twitched, _That's probably exactly what Brightslash would want._ But she didn't say anything. "Whatever, I don't care what you guys think, but you went too far this time," Shadowfern growled. _And thank you, Patchear, for confirming my suspicions so obviously._

Adderfang fluffed up his fur, "You're the newest warrior, you have no right to judge us!" he growled, though his eyes were wary.

Fury struck through Shadowfern and she stalked up to Adderfang, thrusting her muzzle in his face. "I am still a member of ThunderClan, and murdering cats with different opinions isn't going to help anything! It'll make things worse and draw us all out into flat-out war!" Shadowfern snarled,

Adderfang flattened his ears and drew back a step. "Stormstar won't believe you if she told you," Adderfang growled.

Shadowfern blinked, "Are you so sure? What if she checks up my story with RiverClan? The two warriors who attacked me knew exactly _what_ they were doing, _why_ they were doing it, and, most importantly, _who_ asked them," Shadowfern growled, placing her black paws on the snow firmly and glaring Adderfang down.

Adderfang lined up with his two supporters, nose flaring. "We won't let you tell any cat," Adderfang growled.

Shadowfern glared at them. "I wasn't going to, mouse-brain," she hissed, lashing her tail once. _I may hate them, but I won't tear ThunderClan apart, Blueshadow wanted the exact opposite._

The three cats looked confused, "Why not?" Robinspot asked, looking nervous, as if there was a trick behind her words. _Suspicious as ShadowClan!_

Shadowfern flicked her tail at them. "Because of you," she mewed, pain and anger tearing at her heart for a moment and she met Patchear's eyes. His amber ones met her green ones, she could see moons of play-fights and games of moss-ball with this cat reflecting in his eyes.

Then she looked at Robinspot, remembering times when she'd been all alone and had no one to play with as a kit. Robinpaw had taken time to entertain her when the apprentice had already been exhausted from training.

Finally, she met Adderfang's blue eyes, they shone with guilt, confusion, wariness, anger, and longing. She remembered hanging on his words while he debated things with other warriors, his aggressive and blunt words spoke truth more then any other cat and she stored his words to be used in her own arguments with herself.

"But… why?" Patchear asked.

"We're all Clan-mates, whether we agree with each other or not, we're kin and friends," Shadowfern mewed, sweeping her tail at the two toms and then at Robinspot. Patchear's mother was the daughter of Mousetail, Blueshadow's brother. And Adderfang's father, though the tom had never meant him, had been a kit in Blueshadow's first litter.

"And that _has_ to count for something," Shadowfern mewed, her eyes wet at how a family could turn on each other so viciously. "At least, it means something to me," she murmured, turning away into the forest, suddenly feeling weary. _It doesn't seem to matter to any other cat. _

After a few paw-steps into the shadows, paws thundered behind her and she saw them chasing after her, she watched them calmly, though her fur was prickling. "Shadowfern! Did you mean that?" Patchear mewed, sliding in front of her.

"Of course," Shadowfern mewed, slightly offended. "You know me well enough to know I never say anything I don't mean," she said with a hint of reproach.

"Maybe Leopardberry was right about you," Robinspot mewed a little shyly. "Maybe we can all get along, after all, we can't really prove each other's cases to be false," the young warrior mewed, looking ashamed.

Even Adderfang nodded, "I guess we can all be Clan-mates with different opinions, maybe it'd be wrong to ask you to hate your mom on so little evidence," the brown and white tom mewed quietly.

"Er- I-we wanted to ask you something," Patchear stuttered, kicking snow with one paw and his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Go ahead," Shadowfern prompted, intrigued by their sudden change of thought. _Just like Leopardberry… These aren't bad cats, just a little carried away and need to remember what being a Clan means._

"Could you forgive us for arranging the RiverClan cats to kill you?" Patchear asked, his voice shaky, and eyes flashed with horror, as if it took the words in the open air to make him realize what he almost did.

Shadowfern purred, her stinging ear and aching shoulders forgotten. She pushed her muzzle against Patchear's muzzle. "Of course, we're friends, right?" she purred, sweeping her warm gaze back over the two other cats.

Robinspot purred and brushed her muzzle along Shadowfern's cheek and Adderfang touched her shoulder with his tail-tip. "Come on," Shadowfern mewed brightly, feeling more optimistic then she had in days. "Lets get back to camp."

** …**

They entered the camp laughing, their voices carrying through the chilly air with a ring of warmth that had been so long gone from the camp that cats came out of their den to stare in surprise at Adderfang, Robinspot, and Patchear laughing with Shadowfern standing right in the middle of them, her eyes bright with amusement.

Shadowfern waved goodbye with her tail at her friends and stalked toward the medicine-cat's den. She sighed in relief to see only Whitepaw in the den, matching leaves just outside the dark, cracked rock. He glanced up at her foot-steps, then quickly dropped his gaze.

"May I help you?" he asked, his voice crisp and polite.

Shadowfern stared at him longingly, it'd been easier to reconcile with her enemy Clan-mates who'd tried to have her killed. But her brother, she didn't even know why he didn't like her anymore.

"Uh, I fell in some brambles and need something for a few scratches," Shadowfern, licking her painful scratches and cringing at the pain.

Whitepaw got up and stalked over to her, sniffing at her scratches. "Most have been some pretty sharp brambles," he murmured doubtfully, his eyes flashed with concern. "Did you get in a fight with your Clan-mates?" he asked.

"No, actually, they promised they'd try to be more friendly to cats who have different opinions," Shadowfern mewed, trying to sound pleased.

"Really?" Whitepaw mewed, voice tinged with surprise. "How'd you do that?" Whitepaw asked.

"Oh, you know me, I always win arguments," Shadowfern mewed, hot under her fur at the lie and she scuffed a bit of snow with her paw. She'd used their moment

"Unless those arguments are with yourself, then you always lose," Whitepaw teased, a flash of warmth in his eyes.

"You cheek!" Shadowfern gasped in mock indignation, swatting him with a soft paw.

"Okay, okay, hold still for a moment," Whitepaw mewed, trickling a bit of stinging marigold juice into her shoulder scratches. "And now that ear…" Whitepaw carefully cleaned the bit of blood that had oozed out on the return journey.

He put some more marigold on it and then swabbed it the cobwebs. "I'm afraid it'll be nicked, but come back for me to check it tomorrow, it should be good after a day or two," Whitepaw mewed, his eyes and paws confident.

"Okay," Shadowfern mewed, then shuffled her paws. "Uh, could you look at my tail?" she asked, sweeping it in front of her, a bit of smeared blood showed where Falconsong had bitted it.

"Brambles are biting as well now?" Whitepaw asked with surprise, licking the wound clean and wrapping it with horsetail. "It'll be fine as well, but let me see it tonight," Whitepaw instructed.

Shadowfern nodded and purred, nuzzling her brother gently. Whitepaw tensed for a moment, before relaxing. "Be careful in the future," he looked at her with worried eyes. "Something is coming, and we'll all have to be careful," he murmured, his voice had the echoing hint of an omen.

Shadowfern leaned closer, "Has StarClan told you something?" she asked.

Whitepaw shook his head, "Not me, but Softberry, she's very worried," he murmured, turning back to his leaves.

_ Is that what's bugging him? He seems as worried as an elder! I wonder what's wrong and what the trouble will be…_ Sighing, Shadowfern shook her head. _Just another mystery to_ solve.

**...**

**Well, things _seem_ to be getting better... but I might change that... I dunno.**

**Please Review!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello! once again**

**REVIEWS**

**"Flameheart of ThunderClan"- Thank you!**

**"pianodevotion"- Nice suggestion, but I'm not a fan of those kind of stories... I gotta finish one of my stories first before starting a new one anyways**

**Dawnfeather- Yeah, making up is good**

**"Birdflame"- Thanks!**

**"Catqstar"- I dunno, I'd rather not, she had her story, now this is Shadowfern's. But we'll see how it goes.**

**"Leviathan48"- Well, of course!**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Maybe, probably not Shadowfern's kits though, this story won't be long enough for that.**

**Shadowhawk- Yep! just in time for Christmas. **

**"Blazing Bright Streak Of Light"- thank you! and that was my intention, glad it worked! And Rivertail is a little old... but its like Brackenfur and Sorreltail**

**AEIOU- I'm so happy to be on vacation too! and what are you talking about? EVERYONE likes ominous prophecies from StarClan! (being sarcastic)**

**Mouseydragonwolf- Yeah, it took them to go so far that they realized it was stupid before stopping, its like that for most things it seems. **

**Cindermoon2002- Kind of, its a complicated relationship. And that sounds like an AWESOME school!**

**Angelflight- Yeah, Shadowfern's eyes are dark green, Blueshadow had several shaded eyes, like in an anime thing. And yes... Rivertail is related to her, but most of the Clan is so lets try not to think too hard about it. **

**"Crowstar54"- Haha, yeah, I don't check my emails for four days and I have 100 messages just from fanfiction, can't read em'all!**

**frosti- Yes, they are related, most of the Clan is related to each other, that's why I prefer forbidden relationships, because it is less weird!**

**"ShadowQuest2000"- Thanks! and yes, 'the calm before the storm,' would be quite accurate. **

**Chapter 8**

The sky was covered with gray clouds, the brisk scent of cold swirled through the lifeless forest. Leaf-bare had worn on every creature and everyone was ready for new-leaf. A flurry of excited squeals jerked Shadowfern out of her dreary thoughts.

She turned her head from where she sat in the shadow of the warriors den. Deerleap's kits were racing toward her, as usual, Rockkit led his two littermates. They skidded to a halt in front of her, Rockkit putting his stubby paws on her thick tail that was curled in front of her.

"Guess what, Shadowfern!" Rockkit yowled.

Shadowfern flinched at his loud voice. "What?" she asked, putting as much brightness as she could into her voice.

"We're being made apprentices today!" Cloudkit shouted from behind his brother, amber eyes shone wide.

"Really?" Shadowfern purred, though she privately thought they should have been made apprentices days ago.

"Yes! You'll be there, right?" Nightkit asked, dark green eyes wide and expectant.

"Of course," Shadowfern responded. Since she was the closest to their ages, she'd been their closest friend outside their three-ring group, often playing with them and showing them the moves she learned as an apprentice.

_ I wonder if I will mentor one of them?_ She'd been a warrior for almost a moon, _but there are a lot of young warriors who haven't had apprentices yet…_ She sniffed, imagining Flameclaw getting one of these kits and making the young cats one-sided in his quarrel against his Clan-mates.

Ever since Adderfang, Robinspot, and Patchear had loosened up, several other cats had followed their example, specifically Aspenclaw and Rosering, who had never really been mean in the first place. Only Flameclaw and Shrewtail were really against every cat who sided with Blueshadow.

The Clan was going back to normal, Shadowfern just prayed that every cat would fully forget as new-leaf came around and the Clan would be as strong as ever. Already, cats were friendlier and sharing tongues had been restored back into Clan-life

Shadowfern wondered for a moment why the Blue supporters had been less aggressive, more interested in smoothing the situation than inflaming it. _It must be because Blueshadow was always so passive, once something was done, it was done and you move forward._

She looked back at the kits with warm eyes, "When is your ceremony?" she asked with a purr.

"At dusk!" Rockkit answered, wriggling with excitement.

"Well, better go get cleaned up with your mother, its almost dusk!" Shadowfern purred, flicking a crumpled leaf off Rockkit's brown pelt.

"Okay, see you later Shadowfern!" Rockkit called, Cloudkit charged after his brother as the two raced away, but Nightkit stayed by Blueshadow's side.

"Yes?" Shadowfern inquired, cocking her head to stare down at the dark gray kit.

"Do you know who my mentor will be?" Nightkit asked, her dark gaze shadowed.

"No, why ask? You'll find out soon enough and Stormstar will make a good decision," Shadowfern reassured her. She'd at first been disappointed with her own mentor, but they'd fit together perfectly. Harespring's gentler view tempering her inflamed one.

"I just don't want Flameclaw or Shrewtail as my mentor," the little kit muttered.

Shadowfern twitched her ears, the two toms were in prime position for an apprentice, but she couldn't imagine Stormstar giving such biased cats an impressible apprentice. "I don't think you have to worry about that, now go join your littermates," she mewed, leaning down to give Nightkit a nudge.

The kit scampered away, throwing snow up with her little paws, her tail streaming behind her. Shadowfern watched her go, shivering slightly, even the kits had taken notice. _At least it seems to be ending…_

She licked a paw and drew it over her ear, feeling the nick caused by the RiverClan warriors, she'd kept quiet on that as she'd promised. When the Clan had asked what happened, she said she'd been caught in a scuffle when she dropped behind the patrol, most cats had accepted her word and she felt a little ashamed for the lie.

She glanced up at the sky, the moon had been full just a few days ago. She hadn't gone to the gathering because of her scratches, but she'd heard that Cloudpaw of ShadowClan had become Cloudpatch, she wondered if he'd looked for her at the gathering.

_ Don't be silly! He's ShadowClan, and you're going for Rivertail!_ she reminded herself, glancing at the pale blue tom across the clearing talking with Leopardberry. She felt her face flush as he turned to look at her and gave her a friendly wave of his tail.

She dropped her gaze as Leopardberry nudged her brother, a gleam of teasing amusement in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was the Clan gossiping about her and Rivertail. She saw Aspenclaw near the entrance, he'd seen the exchange and his gaze was guarded, his lip curling a bit.

_ What's his problem?_ She didn't have long to wonder, Stormstar emerged and called the Clan together with the age old summons. She pushed her way forward and found herself near Deerleap and her three kits, Aspenclaw sat on her other side and squashed against her, their fur touching, she didn't mind, she'd grown up with him.

She gave the three kits an encouraging nod. Cloudkit nodded back, his tail flicking, and Nightkit straightened, her eyes flashing with excitement to replace her nervousness. Rockkit didn't notice, too focused on what Stormstar was saying.

"Cloudkit, from this moment on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cloudpaw," the gray and white tom dashed into the center of the clearing. "Your mentor will be Snowshade," Stormstar announced, the leader's sister stepped forward to touch noses with the excited young tom.

Shadowfern's fur prickled as she heard a few dark mutters. She hoped Stormstar wouldn't give the kits just to cats who supported Blueshadow. She relaxed as her leader apprentice Rockpaw to Adderfang. Finally, Nightkit became Nightpaw and was given Crystalheart as a mentor.

The Clan cheered the new apprentices and glanced at Stormstar for the meeting to end. But Stormstar had another announcement. "Rosering is expecting kits," the gray patched cat announced. A few cats cheered, more cats turned to Rosering with friendly purrs. Shadowfern murmured her own congratulations.

She glanced around and saw Needlesting, her half-brother, watching Rosering with a look of pride and love. She wondered for a heartbeat why they didn't say he was the father. _Probably want things to calm a bit more. _

Shadowfern headed over to the new apprentices. "Finally!" she mewed as she neared them, a smirk on her face, "I don't have to take care of the elders anymore," she purred. She'd been taking care of the elders almost single-pawed as a warrior. It'd be nice to give the job up to some other cat.

The apprentices just flicked their tails in amusement and Shadowfern headed over to her brother. Whitepaw sat with a worried look on his face. "You okay?" she asked, touching Whitepaw's shoulder with her tail.

"Yeah," he shrugged her tail off, "Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

Shadowfern was tempted to mention the omen, but she didn't want to worry him so directly. "You don't have to know everything, you're still young and learning," she murmured.

"So are you!" Whitepaw flashed back at her hotly. "So just because you have a full name makes you think your better?" he hissed.

Shadowfern was taken aback a heartbeat, before flaming anger spat at her paws. "I never said that! And you should know I don't think like that!" she hissed back.

"Whatever," Whitepaw muttered, turning away. "I can take care of myself," he growled.

Shadowfern stared after him, feeling cold replace the fire. _You're my littermate! I'm supposed to take care of you!_ She stared at him, feeling hollow and cold in her belly.

"Are you okay?" the soft voice and familiar breath on her ear drove some of the feelings away.

"I'm fine," she answered Rivertail, "I'm just worried about him," she murmured.

"I know, that's what littermates do. But he isn't a kit anymore, he can take care of himself," Rivertail mewed, his eyes sympathetic.

But his words annoyed Shadowfern, "I know he can take care of himself! But every cat needs help now and again!" she mewed angrily. Rivertail flinched as she stomped away. _Toms! They can be absolute fools at reading other cats emotions!_

If he'd wanted to comfort her, he should have told her that Whitepaw would come to realize what she meant in a while, that he just needed a little space at the moment. But Rivertail told her something she already knew and was the opposite of her intentions.

She found herself in the forest, just past the top of the ravine. She shivered as a few flurries landed on her ears, speckling white on her black fur, silky as an otter's pelt. She crinkled her nose as paw steps sounded behind her.

"Go away Rivertail," she growled, she wanted some time alone.

"Did you forget my scent so easily?" the teasing mew made her jerk her head around to stare at Aspenclaw.

"Oh," she shifted her paws. "What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You looked like you needed company," Aspenclaw mewed, blue eyes clear.

Shadowfern sniffed, "On the contrary, I want some time alone," she mewed.

"What you want, and what you need, are two different things," Aspenclaw mewed, padding closer, his warm breath welcome on her face.

"Fine, but walk quietly and no talking," Shadowfern mewed, her paws tingling at the look he gave her. It was nice to be with a cat she'd known for so ling, nice to be friends again.

"Shadowfern?" Aspenclaw mewed after awhile as they neared Snakerocks.

"I said no talking," Shadowfern responded, wondering about Marshclaw again. She hadn't thought about those secrets since she was made a warrior, but she still wanted to know. _I figured out Splashspot's and Greystar's secret, now there's just Marshclaw's, and the biggest one… the motivation behind Brightslash's assault on Blueshadow._

"Can I say just one thing?" Aspenclaw asked pleadingly.

Shadowfern sighed and dropped her head, "Fine," she muttered, eyeing Aspenclaw's height with envy. She wasn't small, but still she was short, just slightly taller then Patchear, who was only the size of a regular new warrior, like Blueshadow had been.

"Do you know what really happened? At the murders? You came back looking like a ghost, but claiming you'd seen nothing, no cat believes you," Aspenclaw mewed.

Shadowfern unsheathed her claws and dug them into the snow. Was that the real reason behind why cats thought she'd helped murder Brightslash? _But that's not what happened, and no cat would believe me…_

She glanced at Aspenclaw, his blue gaze was desperate for an answer. _I just want to forget about it!_ She still had nightmares about the grisly fight she'd witnessed, too scared to do anything from the brutality if it all. Watched her mother murdered without making any protest.

Guilt and shame washed over her, she'd never tell any cat that she'd just sat and watched two Clan-mates murder each other, what kind of cat was she to be too scared to do anything? Not like her mother, all the stories she was told made her more ashamed, that was why she hated it when cats compared her to Blueshadow. Because she knew how short she fell of that expectation.

"I-I," Shadowfern mumbled, trying to swallow her emotions and keep the tears pressed back. "You wouldn't believe what I told you," she murmured at last.

She felt Aspenclaw's tail on her shoulder and she turned to look into his blue eyes. "I believe every word you say," he murmured, his blue eyes were wide and honest. "And I won't tell any other cat if you don't want me to," he continued.

She gazed into his eyes, desperately wanting to believe him, and she found she did. "Okay, but no other cat must ever know, that's the final promise I made to my mother," she murmured, feeling Aspenclaw tense as she padded forward, her gaze on the ground.

"I followed Blueshadow from the gathering patrol after she told me to stay, I could tell something was bothering her. I followed her to a clearing by the gorge and hid in a holly bush, neither she nor Brightslash knew I was there," she mewed, a hint of pride at how she'd found the perfect hiding place.

"Blueshadow stood in the middle of the clearing and Brightslash arrived, they spoke as if they had arranged it and that they had known their entire lives this would happen," Shadowfern mewed, frowning as she tried to remember what happened.

"They attacked each other, Brightslash attacked first, the fighting was vicious, they were both trying to kill each other from the start. At first, it seemed Blueshadow was winning, but Brightslash was younger and could withstand more then Blueshadow," Shadowfern mewed, horror tingling through her as she watched the nightmare she lived so many times unwind in her mind.

She spoke the nightmare vividly to Aspenclaw, passing her own horror to him, word for word, she stopped before she got to the part when Brightslash ripped Blueshadow's throat out slowly, making the death long and painful.

"Then Blueshadow kicked out and they both rolled into the gorge, both died," Shadowfern trembled, stopping in her tracks and staring at the ground, trying to focus on the white snow and not on the bloody images in her mind.

"Is that what you have nightmares about?" Aspenclaw murmured when she stopped trembling.

Shadowfern nodded numbly, though the secret felt less dark and heavy now that some cat knew it. "You said you made a promise to Blueshadow, when was that?" Aspenclaw asked.

Shadowfern frowned, "I pulled her from the river, she was almost dead, but asked me to keep it a secret, she didn't want the Clan torn apart with distrust," she mewed.

Aspenclaw sighed, "It happened anyways," he murmured.

"I know it happened anyways! By the time I realized it, the Clan was so divided that half of them wouldn't have believed me," Shadowfern mewed with a flick of her tail. "Do you believe me?" she asked, searching Aspenclaw's face for a hint of doubt.

Aspenclaw sighed, "That was much too vivid for even you to have come up with," he mewed. "I wish you didn't have to live with it," he murmured, licking her ear.

Shadowfern stiffened and stared at Aspenclaw. "Now we can continue our walk in silence, if that's your wish," Aspenclaw mewed, his blue eyes gentle as he padded forward, looking at her from over his shoulder.

Suddenly, Shadowfern felt like a kit and trotted after Aspenclaw. "Actually, we can talk, if you want…"

** …**

They arrived back at camp as the moon neared its highest point. The shadows lay at the edges of camp like soft, dark wings. The snow was firm and molded beneath her paws, leaving her wide paw-prints imprinted in the white ground. _For such a small cat, I have big paws!_

Aspenclaw escorted her over to the warriors den. She hardly even noticed his soft fur brush her pelt and his warm breath on her ear whispering goodnight. But she did hear it, and it made her frown as she curled beside Rivertail, taking care to keep her fur from touching his.

She slept long and heavy, not waking until almost sun-high the next day. Pushing her way groggily out of the den, she jerked her head around to find Lionclaw.

"Finally! What are you, a dormouse? You should have been awake hours ago! Make yourself useful and go on Harespring's hunting patrol," the deputy called.

Shadowfern nodded, bounding over to her former mentor, her fur twitching at his disapproving glance. _Sorry, I was up late last night,_ she thought annoyingly. _And who's fault is that?_ she added to herself with a sigh.

"Who else is coming?" she mewed instead.

"Deerleap, it'll be her first hunting patrol since she moved to the nursery," Harespring mewed, leading her to the entrance. A heartbeat later the long-furred, pure dark brown she-cat arrived, her forest-shadowed green eyes glowing as she watched Rockpaw and Adderfang come into camp. Rockpaw was carrying a tiny shrew.

"Hey Rockpaw! Is that your first catch?" Shadowfern called. Rockpaw nodded, eyes glowing. "Well done!" she called, then followed her patrol out into the forest.

The sun gleamed brightly and icicles dripped from the trees. _New-leaf can't be too far off,_ Shadowfern thought, she'd be happy to see a day when she could go hunting and come back without frozen paws.

They stopped around the Owl Tree, making quick work. Shadowfern returned with two mice and a vole, the sun only half-way down the sky. "Nicely done!" Harespring praised her, he had a squirrel and shrew.

Deerleap grumbled something, nudging her own catch with a paw. She only had a finch and a tiny mouse. "It'll take awhile to get back into hunting mode," Harespring mewed. Shadowfern sighed as Deerleap snorted and stalked off with head and tail high.

"Honestly, the best thing to do was not to comment," Shadowfern mewed to her former mentor with a twitch of her ears, picking up her own catch and following Deerleap. She padded by the older she-cat's side, keeping her gaze closed and non-judgmental, her movements casual. Deerleap relaxed next to her and her eyes brightened, seeming to enjoy being out in the forest again.

Harespring jumped in front of them as they padded into camp, leading them in with his tail brushing the ground behind him. He stopped suddenly half-way through the entrance and Shadowfern bumped into him, causing them both to stumble.

"Mind moving on?" Shadowfern mumbled, her irritation left in a flash as she caught a strange scent on the air. A scent that never belonged in a camp. It brought back flashing images of a small, blue cat lying drenched on a pebbly riverbank, blood streaming lifelessly from her throat and paws.

_ So, who's dead now?_

**...**

**So... here's the bad news, I won't be updating for about two weeks, cause I'll be travelling and on vacation, and if you've ever tried to write on the road, its awful. Sorry to leave it like this. **

**Also, with the whole Rivertail&Shadowfern thing, people have noticed they are related. My advice, don't think too hard about it. I mean, if we can create a world where cats live like knights in medevil times, we can forget a few things now and then. **

**Also, also, Please REVIEW! and tell me if this is North Korean friendly! since, apparently, they decide what everyone gets to see nowadays. (weak Sony, blah!) **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello everybody! Okay, so I'm super sorry its taken so long to update, especially since I said it'd only be two weeks and its been almost four. But, I have excuses! first, I was on vacation; second, the laptop I use for writing broke and all my files had to be recovered; and third, I was really sick.**

**REVIEWS**

**"Leviathan48"- I know, maybe that's why I like mixed Clan relationships? I dunno.**

**"Birdflame"- You're have to read. And thank goodness North Korea doesn't run the internet then ;)**

**"Crowstar54"- Haha, you have funny ideas. Again, thank goodness North Korea doesn't run the internet.**

**"Flameheart of ThunderClan"- Thanks! and love squares are always better then love triangles**

**hey blue- Yeah, that's be cool, except this is in the old forest and legacy is by the lake.**

**"rainpool77"- Yes! that's the reaction I wanted!**

**PianoDevotion- Well, suggestions are always welcome!**

**Tinsel- No prob**

**splinterclaw- thanks**

**"walkswithwheels"- Yeah, except everyone has already forgotten. And well, the battle will be kind of sparked by Blueshadow, it was an indirect result of her death, we'll leave it at that.**

**ShadowHawk-Mind-reader *_***

**CinderMoon2002- that's gotta be fun! my cousin's birthday is on Christmas Eve, so she gets to celebrate like that as well :) **

**AEIOU- Yes, everyone's able to say what they like, but I gotta say, it would be *ahem* inappropriate for Americans to make a movie about killing their own leader. I mean, he's a terrible leader, but he's still our leader. I mean, Kim jun um, or whatever his name is, is a bad guy, just as bad as Stalin and Hitler, he's just got a smaller military and is too weak to expand his rule.**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Did you not like it?**

**"Stormwatcher"- Thank you! And I have to admit, I do Like ShadowFern and Aspenclaw**

**"Starburst768"- Thanks! and I really do have a habit of making tangled relationships... But, in this story at least, she won't be having kits with each tom.**

**Sandfire- Thank you! and I loved that too ;)**

**Guest- Yeah, sorry about that. And please use a name so I can address you directly**

**"I Stay Unnamed"- I know, but you can read my excuses at the top and know I didn't purposefully stop writing.**

**Chapter 9**

Harespring moved in front of Shadowfern, stock-stiff and fur bushed out in shock. Deerleap was trembling with fear, Shadowfern knew she was worried about her newly-apprenticed kits. But Shadowfern had already identified the scent, grief swamping her as she peered past Harespring and spotted limp, patched fur.

_ Adderfang… no._ She stumbled over to the fresh-kill pile with her patrol to deposit their catch. Then she turned and immediately sought out Crystalheart, who was crouched besides her apprentice with her tail wrapped over the small, gray cat.

"What happened?" she asked, still staring at the dead warrior whom she'd recently befriended.

"Fox," Crystalheart shook her head. Rockpaw was shivering besides Deerleap who'd gone to her son. "He was protecting Rockpaw," she murmured, glassy eyes glistening.

Shadowfern sighed in regret, Adderfang had been a new mentor, and as she looked at his lifeless pelt, she saw the long slashes across his throat and chest, the blood had already been cleaned off though.

She touched Crystalheart with her nose gently; she knew her friend was thinking of if that had happened to her and Nightpaw. She padded over to Whitepaw, her brother was sitting with his head bowed outside the fern tunnel.

She sat down by his side with a weary sigh. The sun was going down, flooding the camp with scarlet light that made it all the more easy to imagine the blood stains on Adderfang's brown and white pelt. She couldn't help but feel sorrowful that so soon after working to unite the Clan, such a tragedy had occurred.

She lay down on her belly, chin resting on her folded forelegs and her back-legs stretched behind her. Whitepaw moved into a more comfortable position, his paws tucked beneath his chest and hind-legs tucked beneath him. His pale tabby fur turned silver in the moonlight. Shadowfern's own pelt stayed jet-black.

Shadowfern dozed off as the Clan sat vigil; she wasn't terrible close to the deceased warrior, so she was not required to stay awake. But she stood solemn faced as the elders carried Adderfang's body out to be buried the following morning.

She sighed and turned away, intent on getting some sleep, but dark murmuring made her pause. She looked over her shoulder to see the Clan divided, Blue and Bright supporters keeping to one side again. _Please no!_

She had heard the suspicious muttering that Adderfang had been murdered by Blue supporters. She'd wished that the Blue supporters wouldn't react and allow the other cats to grieve. But that didn't seem to be what was happening.

_ Maybe it'll blow over,_ she thought, but she didn't feel hopeful as she went to her nest, tired and sad. She slept restlessly, and she was awoken by accusing yowls. She stumbled out of the warriors den to see the Clan facing each other with bristling fur and unsheathed claws. Her eyes widened in surprise at how bad things had grown so quickly.

She flattened her ears against the sneers and jeers, slinking over to Stormstar who was watching her Clan with troubled eyes. "What are you going to do about this?" Shadowfern asked.

Stormstar shook her head, "I don't know what to do, and the cats must work things out for themselves. If I tell them to leave it, they will for a day, but it'll be just as bad the next day," Stormstar murmured.

Shadowfern shook her head angrily, stalking between the two lines of cats and heading toward the entrance, anxious to get away from the dark atmosphere. She halted in her tracks at a loud mew from the Blue supporters.

"I'm glad Adderfang died for now there is one less problem in the forest." Shadowfern whipped her muzzle around and glared venomously as the speaker, an agitated Feathershine.

She stalked over to the pretty silver she-cat, hearing yowls of anger behind her from those on the other side of camp that had heard the comment. "You should be ashamed!" she hissed at Feathershine, her anger spilling over.

She raked her gaze around every cat in the clearing, "You should all be ashamed! Using the death of a brave warrior to stir up trouble! I don't know how we can call ourselves a Clan when we act like this! Because I don't know how you cats think a Clan is supposed to act, but this is definitely not it!" she spat, her words aimed toward all the quarrelling cats.

Silence met her words and she whipped around and stormed out of the clearing, her paws slapping the ground as she stomped through the melting snow. She stood, seething, at the top of the ravine, looking out over the sun-lit snowy-melted forest. Light danced before her eyes, but she just shivered miserably at the anger in her Clan.

_I don't want my home to feel like this to me! I feel more comfortable on the ShadowClan border then in my own camp! It's not fair!_ She watched through narrowed eyes as a patrol returned from hunting, they were Bright supporters and ignored her.

With a sigh, she guessed she ought to do something productive for her Clan. So she headed toward the ShadowClan border with her mouth open to draw in the scents and find prey.

Passing by Snakerocks, she still had not found any fresh scent trails to follow prey. _Grr, it's not the middle of leaf-bare anymore, I should be able to find some prey!_ Annoyed and cold, she padded along the Thunderpath, heading for the stream in which the Clan crossed to get to the gatherings. Beyond, it was nice and grassy with plenty of shrubs; she should at least pick up a mouse or two before heading home.

Using the usual crossing place, she leapt across a few submerged flat, gray rocks; keeping her paws dry from the half iced stream. Landing on the other side, the stubbly brown grass pricked her paws and the melting snow splashed up against her forelegs.

Padding forward with the mid-day sun on her back, she halted on the gentle slope, nose twitching. Slipping quietly into the shadow of a stunted tree, she saw a brown mouse padding quickly across the short open slope.

Shadowfern watched it as it padded quickly beside her tree, not moving a whisker. She waited until it was a tail-length behind her before whirling around and leaping. She snapped its tiny neck quickly as it let out a squeal.

Almost immediately afterward, a rabbit sprang out of a bush and hared up the slope that led to ShadowClan territory. Dropping her mouse, Shadowfern gave a brief chase, closing the distance between her and the rabbit quickly. She saw it was limping and guessed that's why it was so slow, _but it's just injured, not sick._

She had hardly a mouse-length between her and the bobbing white tail, getting ready to put on an extra burst of speed to end it all, when she forced her paws to come to an abrupt halt at a wall of foreign cat stench hit her nose.

_ Mouse-dung! It got into ShadowClan territory!_ She glared at it as it bounded into a clump of dead bracken, disappearing from sight. She growled angrily, her second chance at a rabbit! Her first one stolen from her and her second got away. _What a rotten day!_ She thought, imagining her Clan-mates still yowling at each other in camp.

"Too bad about the rabbit," the voice made her jump from her grumblings and stare at the dark brown tabby that had padded out of the muddy brown background.

"Marshclaw," she mewed sourly, still bitter over the rabbit and annoyed that she'd let the ShadowClan deputy catch her off-guard again. _Although this time I'm not on his territory._

"Shadowfern, I thought I might find you here," Marshclaw mewed. His words sent a spark of curiosity through her, remembering that he had a secret connection to ThunderClan.

"Why would that be?" Shadowfern asked, sitting down and curling her thick tail over her paws. She put on a clear face with no expression as to unnerve the cat she was with. It seemed to work, for Marshclaw suddenly seemed less sure of his purpose of talking to her.

"I, err, just wanted to ask how the Clan was doing, no more problems I hope?" Marshclaw mewed, trying to sound nonchalant.

Shadowfern narrowed her already narrowed eyes and decided to test her assumption. "Actually, a warrior was killed by a fox, Gingercloud," she lied smoothly, though it hurt to be lying about the death of a Clan-mate. Even more so since a different Clan-mate _had_ died.

In a heartbeat Marshclaw's dark yellow eyes had turned glassy with grief and he let out a small whimper of sorrow. He hardly seemed aware of her as he sat down; head sunk into his shoulders and shivers of grief running through him.

Anger, fear, and awkwardness burst through Shadowfern. "I knew it!" she cried. Marshclaw jerked his head up at her outburst and looked at her in sad confusion. "You love Gingercloud!" she continued in a harsh accusing tone.

Marshclaw jumped to his paws and glared at her, tail lashing. He seemed to have realized she'd been lying, but was too angry at what she'd just accused him of to scold her for playing with his emotions. "I do not!" he spat, incredulously.

If she hadn't just witnessed him breaking down at hearing Gingercloud was dead, she might have believed him. "Yes you do! Why else would you ask after her and her littermates? Why spend so much time at the gatherings with her? Why be so distraught at hearing she's dead?"

"But she's not really dead, is she?" Marshclaw spat angrily, drawing himself to full height and towering over her smaller shape.

"No," she admitted with a growl, feeling her fur prickle guiltily. "But a Clan-mate did die from a fox today," she added in a small murmur.

Marshclaw allowed a moment of silence before carrying on angrily. "But that doesn't explain your ridiculous accusation!" the deputy growled angrily.

Shadowfern stared him down through narrowed eyes, a snarl twitching on her face at the insult. "I _never_ make any accusation not based on some fact," Shadowfern growled, a soft low growl that voiced her rage. "And I've already given you my reasons," she added coldly, drawing herself up tall and straight in her sitting position.

Marshclaw eyes darted around desperately, she knew she had him cornered and he'd tried to turn the argument back on her. She'd refused to take the bait and had directed the attention to the point once more.

Finally, Marshclaw sighed, and with a last glance over his shoulder, as if looking for listening ears, responded. "Look, I do love Gingercloud, but in a different way. You should know I already have a mate, Battlecry, and two kits. My relationship with Gingercloud and her littermates is different, not anything you'd understand," Marshclaw added harshly, glaring down at her.

Shadowfern narrowed her eyes until they would hardly be visible, and leaned forward. Thinking fast, she processed the new information and an image formed in her mind. Six kits; a gray one, a white one, a black one, a red one, an orange one, and a dark brown one who sat off to one side between the paws of matching brown color.

"Are you their littermate?" she asked in a whisper.

Marshclaw flinched back in shock, eyes staring at her, wide and blank. "When did you figure it out?" Marshclaw asked, ducking his head to break off eye-contact.

"Right now," she responded, eyeing him in a whole other light. Not the ShadowClan deputy, but a brother, a half-brother, but a brother nonetheless. "Is that why you let me out of your territory without hurting me?" she asked, remembering when she'd been an apprentice not-so-long-ago.

"Partly," Marshclaw admitted, "I never had kin in ShadowClan, other than my dad, but he died when I was still fairly young. Blueshadow would somehow visit me in dreams and we would talk, she never did tell me why exactly she gave me to my father…" Marshclaw frowned. He looked sad, alone, desolate. Not like the angry cat she'd been staring down a few moments before.

"But you made your own family," she reminded him softly. Though she was really thinking about how Blueshadow had visited Marshclaw in his dreams, such power only belonged to StarClan.

"Yes," Marshclaw nodded, drawing his head up proudly. "I did," he mewed. They sat watching the clouds scud across the sky for a few moments more, then Marshclaw stepped away. "I've held you up long enough, good luck hunting," he mewed friendly. She nodded back at him and waved her tail as he disappeared.

_ Weird, I've had longer conversations with my half-brother that lives in ShadowClan, then my half-siblings in my own Clan!_ Twitching her whiskers at the wry thought, she returned to hunting.

**…**

When she entered camp, two mice and a shrew hanging from her jaws, she stopped dead in astonishment. She'd left a Clan yowling insults and threats at each other, and now it seemed like nothing had ever happened. Blue and Bright supporters mingled together as they shared tongues, the orange light of dusk shone on the smooth pelts and bright gleams of eye.

Shadowfern warily padded to the fresh-kill pile and laid down her catch, wondering what had happened when she'd been out. _Surely my words didn't change all their minds so easily? _She felt a tail across her shoulders and looked up into Stormstar's green eyes.

"Your words were spoken with much truth, the Clan has reconciled with each other. There is peace," Stormstar sighed, looking quite pleased and much less troubled.

Shadowfern felt a sudden impulse to ask her if she knew Marshclaw was her brother and that her father had been a ShadowClan cat. But she held her tongue; this was not the place to ask. "I'm glad I could help, the cats know what's right, they just need to be reminded," Shadowfern mewed, shaking a bit of snow off her paw. Though she was still dubious, could minds be swung so easily?

Stormstar nodded, her gaze becoming more serious, "Have you thought of becoming deputy?" the gray leader asked.

Shadowfern started; she hadn't even given it a thought! "No," she mewed honestly. "I only just became a warrior! Not to mention I haven't had an apprentice yet," Shadowfern mewed, but even the thought of being deputy and then leader sent surges of exhilaration through her.

"You have more wisdom then many cats half your age," Stormstar mewed, her tone gentle and encouraging, but her eyes were searching and worried.

Shadowfern narrowed her eyes up at her half-sister. "You think I'd use my gift to become deputy?" she asked, almost disgusted, though she had considered the idea more than once.

Stormstar shrugged, "Blueshadow had many talents, but not as much ambition. If you have half her talents and your father's ambition, you would use your gifts to your advantage," Stormstar mewed.

Shadowfern scoffed, "Whitefoot didn't have ambition," almost spitting her father's name. She knew that when she'd been born they'd stopped being mates, why, she didn't know. But she knew they hadn't wanted her or her brother. Out of all the kits Blueshadow had had, she was the most legitimate one, but the least wanted, along with her brother, of course.

"He did have ambition," Stormstar's sharp voice jerking her out of her sour thoughts. "At one point he wanted to be deputy, Bluesahdow got the position instead, so then he wholeheartedly turned to gaining Blueshadow's affection. He lived for a long time without her notice, until one day, she actually did spot him," Stormstar mewed, green eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Shadowfern narrowed her own eyes more, peering up at her leader through slits. "Why do you care? Foxtail was your father," she growled, it was the perfect chance to see if Stormstar knew, why waste it?

Stormstar nodded curtly, her eyes flashing with some emotion that was gone too quickly to distinguish. _She knows,_ she thought, watching her leader stalk away stiffly without another word.

"Hey! Shadowfern!" the black she-cat turned to see Cloudpaw and Nightpaw racing toward her, tails erect and eyes bright.

"I'm just across camp, not across the forest," she called back, watching the young cats skid to a stop in front of her.

"Guess what?!" Cloudpaw mewed, bouncing on his paws.

"Don't keep me waiting till moon-high, what is it?" Shadowfern drawled on with a smirk as the younger cats rolled their eyes at her sarcasm.

"Tomorrow we're on Dawn patrol together!"Nightpaw mewed with a purr.

Shadowfern yawned, "What if I don't want to go on the Dawn patrol tomorrow?" she mumbled in fake tiredness.

"You don't get a choice!" Cloudpaw mewed indignantly, rearing up and placing his paws on her shoulder to stand over her.

"Oh, yeah?" Shadowfern purred, rolling over and letting Cloudpaw roll with her until she'd pinned him down. "Says who?" she asked teasingly.

Cloudpaw huffed under her paws, "Says Lionclaw," he mewed.

"Oh," she mewed, looking at the senior golden deputy. "I guess I don't have a choice," she mewed in mock sadness.

Nightpaw purred and pushed her off her brother. "Won't it be great?!" the dark gray apprentice purred.

"What'll be great?" Shadowfern mewed, using a hindleg to scratch behind her ear and pretending not to pay attention.

"The patrol! It'll be the first time we go out into the forest with you!" Nightpaw laughed, swatting at her ear, "You're so silly," she giggled.

"Silly?" Shadowfern glared at the two apprentices in such a serious manner that they broke out laughing as she sneezed. "Well, maybe just a little," she purred, flicking a tail over their ears.

"So, is Rockpaw going?" she asked.

Nightpaw shook her head. "No, his new mentor is taking him out," she mewed quietly.

"Oh yes, who is his new mentor? I must have been gone when that was announced," Shadowfern mewed.

"It's Leopardberry," Coudpaw responded for his sister.

Shadowfern nodded thoughtfully, eyeing the faint shadows of bare limbs over the camp floor. She noticed tiny buds beginning to grow. No more than half-a-moon until there'd be leaves again. As it was, most of the snow had melted and left all the streams were topping their banks.

_ I wonder if the river is flooded. I suppose I'll find out tomorrow morning… _And with that drowsy though in the back of her mind, she sat down to share a meal with the two apprentices. The camp was warm with comradeship once more.

**...**

**So, good chapter? I don't know, I wrote half of it before I left, then finished it almost four weeks later, so, to me at least, it feels disjointed. Whatever. I might be a little slow with the next chapter, but most definitely no more then a week! **

**Please Review! **


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello once again! As I said, much faster update ;)**

**"Birdflame"- I do as well**

**Dawnfeather- I know, I'm so evil killing kitties. Its my favorite past-time. **

**"walkswithwheels"- Yeah, I never saw age as a problem, but she needs an apprentice. And Whitefoot was okay, and Blueshadow was never proved to have done anything wrong, sot hat makes it easier for her than Brambleclaw. And Whitepaw should get his name soon...**

**"3Snow Fox3"- I agree, odd characters make stories! **

**"Leviathan48"- Aw, thanks!**

**"pianodevotion"- Well, I'm glad I can give you something to read!**

**"tye de tail"- Aye, I'll continue writing until I go to college! probably.**

**"splinterclaw"- Thank you!**

**Cindermoon2002- Its okay, I'm happy to be better though! And no, not fully reconciled, but they're trying to act like a Clan!****AEIOU- Haha, yep, truth provoked from lies, funny how that happens. And I know, right? I hate getting up early**

**I Stay Unnamed- Thank you so much! and I shall try my best to continue giving good writing!**

** ShadowHawk540- Wow, I don't know if I could stay up until 2:00am anymore! And I'm glad you're enjoying the story**

**"rainpool77"- Was there something wrong?**

**Dawn- Thanks!**

**Angelflight- Haha, well, lets hope I don't get in that situation at all. **

**Sandfire- :)**

**Chapter 10**

"Hey! Time to wake up!" Snowshade's silver striped face was leaning over Shadowfern as she woke up yawning in the dismal gray light of before dawn. "Dawn patrol," her half-sister mewed curtly.

"I remembered," Shadowfern muttered. She sat up; Snowshade was rousing Crystalheart who would make up the rest of the warriors on patrol. She stood up and glanced at Rivertail, who shifted in his sleep as she pulled away from his side.

She felt a fresh wave of confusion, she didn't understand it. She could figure out the most impossible problems with a bit of observation, but she was totally lost when it came to relationships. She gave her already clean fur a few quick licks where it had ruffled up a little.

Heading out of the den, she shivered as a thin breeze ruffled her whiskers. The indigo sky was patched with clouds that were turning the first hint of gold as a thin ring of light appeared on the eastern sky. Shadowfern padded, yawning, to join the two sleepy apprentices by the camp entrance.

"Still think this is great?" she asked teasingly, poking Cloudpaw who had fallen into a doze. The fluffy white and gray tom jerked his head up with wide eyes and a look of confusion before muttering something inaudible, fluffing up his fur against the morning cold.

They had to wait only a moment before Snowshade and Crystalheart joined them and they headed out, Snowshade in the lead with Shadowfern bringing up the rear. Tiredness pressed on Shadowfern's eyelids and she was comfortably warm, her fur keeping the cold off her skin. They skirted the Twolegplace border, only briefly checking the scent markers before heading up along the RiverClan boundary.

She could hear the rushing torrent of the river before she saw it, and she thought it sounded louder than usual. She glimpsed it through the wet forest and saw the snow-melt had raised the water level so that it lapped along the sides of Sunningrocks.

"Wow!" Nightpaw gasped, sounding instantly awake. "The river is _gigantic!_" the apprentice gasped.

Snowshade turned to look at her, whiskers twitching. "I've seen it fuller then this, but yes, it does look bigger than usual," the warrior mewed.

Shadowfern eyed the water dubiously; she remembered how hard the pull had been when it'd been substantially lower than this. She definitely didn't want to go for a swim. The water was dark gray and it swept along chunks of ice that hadn't fully melted yet, it'd probably freeze a cat to death as well.

She turned to ask to move on, but before she could open her mouth the two apprentices had darted across the scent-markers and were dabbing at the water with squeals of delight.

"Get back here right now!" Snowshade yowled harshly. Shadowfern had frozen and was scanning the opposite shore to see if any RiverClan cats were witnessing this breach in borders. She willed the apprentices back here, but dared not raise her voice in case it alerted a RiverClan patrol.

The apprentices, however, didn't seem to have heard Snowshade over the roar of the water and they had clambered on top of Sunningrocks, gazing down at the water rushing past the rocks.

Shadowfern had started moving forward to fetch the apprentices back when Nightpaw squealed and slipped off the smooth gray rock, Cloudpaw yowling in alarm. Shadowfern heard the splash, but her paws were already carrying her along the bank to where Nightpaw would flow, her tiredness forgotten.

"Nightpaw!" she yowled, hot fear diminishing the need for quiet.

"I'm he-" the terrified voice was cut off by a hacking cough. Shadowfern narrowed her eyes and raced along, for once, it seemed her moons of racing was paying off, for she could scan the gray waters while instinctively navigating the shore at top speed.

_There!_ She saw a flash of black fur as the now limp and probably unconscious cat was thrown up over the waves. Shadowfern narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears; it seemed she'd have to swim once more. She spied a slab of rock that sloped from the ground and hung over the river, a perfect place to jump in.

Her paws hit the rigid stone and then she was flying through the air, aiming for where she had last seen Nightpaw's tiny head. Adrenaline coursed through her, giving her momentarily extra strength. She hit the icy water like she'd fallen on hard ice, drenched and frozen in a moment of being submerged. But with energy coursing through her, she scarcely felt the cold.

The current tumbled her along, but she remembered from dragging Blueshadow out of the water, how to swim. Using her tail to balance her out, she worked her paws as if she was walking up a steep slope. She broke the surface with a gasp of breath and water dribbled off her fur and whiskers.

She kept her paws churning to keep her muzzle above water. Her thick fur, which had inherited her mother's waxiness, didn't fill with water like the fur of other cats. She looked around the splashing gray waves, green eyes fixing on a flailing dark paw.

She lunged for it, her claws hooking onto fur and she kicked out for her shore. She tried to drag Nightpaw up by the scruff, but every time she ducked under water, her mouth filled with water so she focused on getting her to shore.

She felt a surge of relief as her paws scraped against sand and pebbles. Now she could grab Nightpaw by the scruff and lift her above water. She dragged her onto shore and laid her down, clear of the water, panting with the weight.

Then she rolled the apprentice on her back and massaged her chest as she had seen a RiverClan warrior do last leaf-fall with a kit that had fallen in. It worked and Nightpaw coughed up two mouthfuls of water before laying back down, her breath much stronger than before.

"Thanks," Nightpaw wheezed.

"No problem," Shadowfern panted. Her own fur was shedding the water just fine, so she licked Nightpaw's fur the wrong way to warm her up.

As she finished that, the patrol caught up, their paws unable to carry them as fast as the river. "Shadowfern! Nightpaw!" Snowshade exclaimed with relief. "You're alright," the white and silver tabby sighed.

Shadowfern saw Crystalheart and Cloudpaw staring at them with relief plastered on their faces when they saw them. "Shadowfern, you and Nightpaw ought to go back to camp," Snowshade mewed.

Shadowfern nodded, as the adrenaline wore off, she was left sleepy and exhausted. She nudged the dark gray she-cat to her paw, her fur returning to its normal color now that it wasn't drenched. Although it was still a shade darker than usual.

Shadowfern led Nightpaw back to camp, their fur drying on the way back, but Shadowfern was limping from where she had picked up a thorn racing the river. The thorn itself had fallen out in the river, but it had left a jagged cut where it had been torn out roughly.

Nightpaw was limping from where some piece of debris had bruised her shoulder. "When did you learn to swim?" Nightpaw asked, breaking the silence as they neared the ravine.

Shadowfern didn't break stride or even turned her head, "I learned when I was an apprentice, last leaf-fall," she answered curtly.

"Why?" Nightpaw asked curiously.

Shadowfern twitched an ear, "Doesn't matter, I didn't accomplish what I set out to do that time."

"Well, I'm glad you accomplished what you set out to do this time," Nightpaw mewed, sounding grateful.

"Oh yeah? Me too," Shadowfern mewed with a smirk. They fell silent as they padded the rest of the way to camp. The heartbeat Shadowfern set paw in the camp a white and gray face appeared in front of her.

"Shadowfern! I need to talk to you!" Whitepaw mewed earnestly.

"Whitepaw, can you look at Nightpaw first? She had a dunking in the river," Shadowfern sighed.

"Oh yeah? And who fished her out?" Whitepaw asked as she tried to move past him, eyes sharp.

"Me, but-"

"But nothing, I'll check you as well," Whitepaw retorted, leading her and the apprentice to the medicine-cat den. On the way, they met Deerleap.

"My goodness, Nightpaw! What happened to you?!" Deerleap cried, dark green eyes anguished.

"She's just fine, but Whitepaw is going to check her over," Shadowfern mewed calmly, facing the worried mother. "She fell in the river, but I got her out, Whitepaw will take care of her," Shadowfern repeated while Deerleap looked on in horror.

The dark brown warrior moved toward the medicine-cat den where the two cats had disappeared, but Shadowfern blocked her. "Better give Whitepaw space, wait until he either calls you, or until Nightpaw comes out," Shadowfern ordered.

Deerleap glared at her for a moment before pushing past her, but she stopped and sat down just outside the fern tunnel. "Well done, but do you mind telling me what happened?" Shadowfern turned to look at Lionclaw.

"Yes, the river is much larger because of the snow-melt and Nigthpaw and Cloudpaw were messing around…"

"And she fell in," Lionclaw finished with a sigh. Shadowfern nodded. "Well, good job for rescuing her, go get yourself looked at though, I don't want my warriors falling ill just as the seasons change for the better," Lionclaw mewed.

Shadowfern nodded and passed Deerleap by the medicine-cat den. Whitepaw was bringing some thyme leaves out to calm the apprentice, and a few poppy seeds to make the apprentice rest.

Softberry was parting Nightpaw's fur, as if looking for hidden injuries. "Nope, no leaches, okay, just rest and you'll be just fine. Okay, Shadowfern, let me take a look at you," the senior medicine-cat mewed.

Shadowfern sat still as Softberry searched through her fur and listened to her heartbeat. "Nope, not in shock and your breathing is clear. As for that paw, a poultice of marigold will do just fine…" Softberry applied the ointment briskly.

"Now, just stay off of that today," Softberry mewed. "And no exceptions," she added as Shadowfern groaned. "Would you like poppy seeds to help you sleep?" the medicine-cat asked.

"No, I'm fine without them," Shadowfern mewed. Softberry nodded, gathering up the bits of leaves. Nightpaw had already been sent to her nest, so they were alone in the den.

"Shadowfern," Whitepaw murmured quietly, passing her quietly. "Meet me by the nettle patch," her brother murmured, not giving her time to respond before picking up some leaves to put away.

Shadowfern felt a twinge of annoyance as she headed out of the den toward the nettle patch. _Humph, and cats say _I'm_ the mysterious one!_ She sat down by the nettle patch, as Feathershine and Skydrop were dozing there at the moment. The two, usually bickering sisters, seemed content to sleep like littermates.

Whitepaw didn't leave her waiting long, and they settled down in the shadow of the barrier. "Well, what is it?" Shadowfern asked.

"Not so loudly!" Whitepaw murmured. "I heard of the prophecy," he added.

"Really?" Shadowfern asked, ears pricked and eyes widening slightly as she leaned toward her brother.

"No, I'm making it up," Whitepaw snapped irritably.

"Well, why tell me? Why not tell Stormstar?" Shadowfern asked, feeling baffled that he would share this with her.

"Because you're good at figuring weird things out," Whitepaw mewed, sounding desperate. Shadowfern wasn't going to argue a fair point, so she just grunted and nodded for him to continue.

"The prophecy was,' _Stones scrape Stones and tumble down, bringing the Clan with them,'_ what does that mean?" Whitepaw sounded completely lost and confused.

Shadowfern frowned and thought hard for a moment,' _stones scrape stones,'_ Shadowfern frowned and shook her head and Whitepaw groaned. "Now just hang on, I need to be able to think about this first. Just wait, I'll come up with something," she mewed.

Whitepaw shook his head in despair and turned away, head and tail down. Shadowfern knew he wanted to figure it out for his mentor, maybe to prove he could get his full name. But the words, what could they possibly mean?

When she thought, 'stone,' she thought of Rockpaw, the stubborn and ambitious young tom. But even if that was true, who, or what, was the other stone? Stones scraping stones could be like two strong forcing brushing each other, much like how the bright and blue supporters had been so stubborn, but they were moving the Clan past that now.

_I've just got to wait and see if something happens to clear this up._ Shadowfern sighed, just one problem after another. Shadowfern limped toward the warriors den, wearied by the short day.

**…**

When Shadowfern awoke, the light was fading red and Rivertail was beckoning her outside. She padded toward him, her paw hardly aching as she pressed it against the ground and the weariness in her limbs had disappeared.

"Come on and share a meal with me," Rivertail encouraged. Shadowfern sighed; she knew she had to tell Rivertail she wasn't interested in being mates anymore. It wasn't that she didn't like him, she did a lot, and she could definitely see them having kits in the future. But she wasn't ready to do that right now…

Or more exactly, she wasn't ready to lose her youth quite yet. She followed him to where a squirrel was lying. She shared it with him, aware that Aspenclaw kept glancing at her. She hoped he didn't want to be mates either, doing such a thing once was hard enough.

She waited until they had finished eating and he'd reached forward to start grooming her and she pulled away. "Look, Rivertail, I like you a lot… But, I'd rather we wait on being actual mates. I'm not ready for that right now," she mewed awkwardly.

Rivertail froze and studied her for a moment through his brown eyes. "Is that really what you want? To wait just a few moons?" the blue-gray tom asked.

Shadowfern sighed and nodded. She frowned as Rivertail purred and licked her cheek. "We can still be mates without mating. We can wait on that until you're ready," Rivertail mewed, brown eyes gentle.

Shadowfern hesitated for a moment, what would he say if she told him she was considering Aspenclaw as well? _No, this isn't the time to change things. It's fine like this for now. _"Okay, I'll agree to that," she purred. Rivertail responded by touching his nose to hers.

She ignored Aspenclaw's death stare and chatted with Rivertail for a while. But she stayed awake as the rest of cats went to their dens. She wasn't tired, since she'd slept most of the day. She headed toward the elders den, to see if they had any advice to offer her.

She was intercepted by a silver tom with blue eyes. "Why didn't you tell him what you really wanted?" Aspenclaw demanded.

Shadowfern looked at him queerly. "And why is that important to you? I got what I wanted, and Rivertail is happy," she mewed.

"But you didn't tell him you haven't made up your mind," Aspenclaw pressed, and Shadowfern felt a pang of guilt, but she refused to show it.

"And what makes you think I haven't?" she challenged.

"You should be honest, if you change your mind on him, he'll think you were leading him on without loving him," Aspenclaw mewed. Shadowfern stayed silent and he continued. "Wouldn't it better to not ruin love?" he pressed.

Shadowfern glared at him. "I'll do what I want, if you can't take that, than you need to get over it and leave me alone," she growled.

Aspenclaw stared at her hard as she padded past him. "Just like your mother, a faithless she-cat," he muttered.

Shadowfern whirled around, anger hammering her. But Aspenclaw was padding to the warriors den and she saw Lionclaw watching her curiously. She wasn't going to chase after Aspenclaw. If he was going to be a mange-pelt, let him.

She stomped to the entrance, snapping at Sunstrike, who was sitting guard, that she needed some time alone. She raced along invisible moonlit paths, ducking and dodging without snagging her fur on the thick undergrowth in the dead of night.

If there was one thing she could pride herself in, it was navigating territory at top speed even at night. She leaped across a stream that lay, a ribbon of silver, between the moon-bathed grounds. It wasn't until she'd gone a few steps more that she realized she was almost exactly where she'd met Marshclaw two days before.

She blinked as she realized that the ShadowClan scent was fresh. But she wasn't worried; she recognized the scent and almost purred as a white face speared with twin sparkling, blue pools broke through the dark foliage.

"Shadowfern!" Cloudpatch mewed. "Am I glad to see you!" he sighed, sitting down on his side of the territory.

"Oh yeah?" Shadowfern laughed, "I guess I'm glad as well," she sighed, noticing the smooth slope of his pelt over his muscles. What was wrong with her? She didn't love this cat, he was a complete stranger to her, yet he did excite her.

"What are you doing out so late?" Cloudpatch asked.

"Oh, Aspenclaw was accusing me of having bad relationships," she mewed nonchalantly.

Cloudpatch gave a snort, "Shiverleaf was telling me the same thing," the ShadowClan tom mewed.

Shadowfern met his eyes and she felt her own sense of rebellion and spirit in his eyes. "I don't suppose you'd mind if we gave them a reason for having a bad relationship?" she asked with a sly smirk.

Cloudpatch met her gaze, not looking the least bit fazed. "Just one night than? One night to be free? Are you up for it?" he asked.

"Yes, just one night. And the real question is, are _you_ up for it?" Shadowfern smirked.

Cloudpatch stepped over the border, "Is that a challenge? You know I can't turn down a challenge, even one about that."

"Well, then prove to me you can handle it. But as you know, to enjoy your catch, you have to catch it first," she smirked. And with that, she dashed into the trees along the border, Cloudpatch right behind her.

She didn't run as fast as she could, since she didn't want to lose him. For a moment, she told herself this was the worst idea of her life. But she was tired of always being right, but ending up wrong anyways. At least on this one, she would really be wrong.

She skimmed over the grass, and then surged up a tree, the tallest one in the area. She swarmed up the trunk her claws gouging their own holds as if she were just climbing up a steep slope. Cloudpatch followed her with just the same speed and energy.

She waited for him at the top of the swaying branches. The top of the tree swayed in the wind, but all Shadowfern saw was night sky and stars. _Blueshadow can't be angry with me, she did this as well._ She thought, feeling better.

"What do they think about such a thing? I mean, being mates for a night just to prove a point to ourselves," Shadowfern sighed. Cloudpatch drew his tail over her spine and it gave her shivers.

"For tonight, we are mates, we are Clan-mates, and we are more. Come on, nothing bad will come from this, it's highly unlikely you'll end up with kits, anyways," the tom mewed.

For a moment, Shadowfern's sense of honor and the thought of the disgrace of having half-Clan kits almost broke through her carefree delusion. "Come on, let's get down before we're blown off," Shadowfern giggled. _Giggled?_ She never giggled…

They half-fell half-jumped, down the tree and Shadowfern purred as she fell on top of Cloudpatch and rolled off his sleek pelt. She lay on her back, staring up at him through warm, narrowed eyes, her paws crocked on top of her.

Cloudpatch purred and pounced on her and the rolled over in the wet leaves in a tangle of arms and legs. Shadowfern would never admit it to anyone, but she didn't remember quite exactly what happened. She didn't believe they did actually mate, she thought that Cloudpatch stopped short of that, even if they did go through the procedures.

But they slept as close as littermates in the nursery and when they awoke the sun showed on their merged fur. But that was it, with the loss of the moonlight; they were nothing more than acquaintances from different Clans.

Cloudpatch left without more than a quick nod of goodbye, his gaze once more sheltered and clear. Shadowfern as well, was back to the cool, remote cat that saw everything. She cleaned her fur until it was silky smooth and carried no scent of the ShadowClan tom.

Refreshed by the night free of good choices, she turned back to camp. She refused to think of the night, she couldn't change it. And she didn't think of Cloudpatch, he had just been a tool that she'd used to refresh her; she doubted she'd been any more than that to him.

But she wasn't stupid enough to think the Clan would accept that. So she hunted quickly before entering camp. Luckily for her, hunting was easy that bright morning. And she entered the awakening camp with two mice.

"You were out early," Crystalheart commented as she dropped her prey at the fresh-kill pile.

"Oh, I went out on a walk last night after sleeping most of the day, I must have fallen asleep. Then on the way back, the hunting was just too good to waste," Shadowfern mewed smoothly.

Crystalheart studied her for a moment. "You know, I've never been able to tell when you're lying. I bet that comes in handy," the yellow and white she-cat mewed in a low tone.

"Oh, it does, but I don't lie terrible often," Shadowfern mewed, tilting her head to one side and staring hard at Crystalheart. "If you're accusing me of lying, I'd rather know now," she added in a sharp voice.

Crystalheart sighed and shook her head, "I'm not, but you look almost too relaxed."

"I always look too relaxed, as the Clan would say," Shadowfern mewed with a snort. Crystalherat shrugged.

"Do you think you might come hunting with Nightpaw, Rockpaw, and I?" Crystalheart asked.

Shadowfern sighed, "I just went hunting. What's Leopardberry doing?" she asked, naming Rockpaw's mentor.

"She's out on patrol, she'll be back later," Crystalheart mewed.

"Fine," Shadowfern agreed. "Are we going now?" she asked.

"As soon as I drag Nightpaw and Rockpaw out of their den," Crystalheart responded. Then she bounded to the den and called out, a dark gray and dark brown shape following her out.

Shadowfern led them out, taking them over toward the Great Sycamore. The apprentices made quick work of each catching a piece of prey. Shadowfern, with her extensive hunting skill, also made two impressive catches. One was a pigeon, and a young squirrel.

Crystalheart turned up with one of the first robins of the season. Then she showed the apprentices how to stalk a chaffinch, moving fast and low to the ground. Shadowfern kept an eye on Rockpaw, the prophecy still fresh in her mind

The young, brown tom still seemed subdued by his former mentor's death, but his dark green eyes watched Crystalheart's demonstrations with a sharp calculation. Shadowfern frowned and shook her head. Why did prophecies have to be so vague? She had a few different ideas, but none were supported by much evidence.

"Squirrel!" Nightpaw's loud whisper brought Shadowfern's attention to the bobbing little brown shape in the Great Sycamore. Shadowfern shook her head, it was too high up and it'd be dangerous to grab it.

But before she could say anything, Crystalheart was stealthily climbing the tree. _Is she crazy?! The squirrel will just jump away!_ She wanted to call her friend back down, but she didn't want to break her concentration.

She watched, silent as stone with the apprentices, as Crystalheart grew closer to her quarry. But as Shadowfern had suspected, the squirrel nimbly jumped up the tree. She expected Crystalheart would climb down now, but she kept climbing up after the squirrel.

"Crystalheart! Get down!" she called. But the yellow and white she-cat didn't seem to hear and kept climbing until Shadowfern lost her in a mix of clouds and sunshine.

She faintly heard a call and yelled back a questioning mew. "I'm coming down!" the faint voice was almost lost in the wind. But Shadowfern eventually saw Crystalheart growing steadily larger.

"Just take your time!" she cautioned. She smirked to herself as she saw a swinging brown shape from her mouth.

"She caught it!" Nightpaw exclaimed, purring in pride.

Shadowfern wasn't ready to join in, not until her friend was safely on the ground. She felt a promotion of fear and she stalked up and jumped onto the Sycamore's lowest branches. They were so wide that Shadowfern could have laid down and rolled over on the one branch.

"Be careful!" she called up as Crystalheart seemed to stumble. Her friend was close enough that Shadowfern could see she was frowning and panting with effort. She watched tense and nervous as her friend climbed down slowly.

In her mind, she played several scenarios of Crystalheart falling in which she'd grab her scruff and slow her fall enough that she would survive. Her eyes scanned the base branches that surrounded the trunk like the petals of a daisy flower. Now she knew exactly where she'd step to move to be right under Crystalheart in case she did fall.

But Crystalheart made it down to being a mere five branches above her head before she started hurrying along too quickly. Crystalheart stepped on a small branch and it gave a loud creak then snapped most of the way through, holding itself up by just a little bit of twine.

Shadowfern was under Crystalheart in an instant and caught the she-cat's scruff as she slid past, yowling. It all happened so fast that she hadn't seen Crystalheart whack her leg on another branch. Crystalheart cried in pain as Shadowfern lowered her to the ground with a grunt of effort.

She jumped down and circled her friend who still held the squirrel. "I told you to be careful," she mewed sharply. The injured leg seemed to be bruised, but the shoulder looked awkward and disjointed.

"Sorry," Crystalheart mewed in a tight voice.

"So you should be, now I have to carry you back to camp," Shadowfern mewed irritably. "Nightpaw, run back to camp and tell them that Crystalheart got injured. Rockpaw, bring our prey, please," Shadowfern added. Then she lowered herself to the ground and Crystalheart climbed onto her back, groaning in pain as she bumped her injured shoulder.

Crystalheart was heavy, being slightly more filled out then Shadowfern was and taller by about a mouse-length. But Shadowfern braced herself against the weight and forced her paws to move forward. "And to think," she grunted as they were about half-way back to camp. "You do this just after your apprentice falls in the river, what are the elders going to say?" Shadowfern joked.

Crystalheart groaned, "I don't even want to think about it," she muttered. Not long after that they met a relief patrol and Breezeice and Hawktail carried Crystalheart between them with Shadowfern reporting to Lionclaw on the way back to camp.

She sighed as she saw that the sun was half-way down the sky but she was completely exhausted. "I hope you don't need me for anything," Shadowfern mewed, her wounded paw felt sore again and she wanted to rest until dusk and have some food.

"No, you've done enough for today," Lionclaw mewed kindly. "Nightpaw told me you caught Crystalheart when she fell," Lionclaw added as Crystalheart was carried to the medicine-cat's den.

"Yeah, my neck hurts from that," Shadowfern mewed dryly.

"Well, you did well. Take the rest of the day off," Lionclaw mewed with a nod of his head.

Shadowfern sighed in relief and grabbed a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, sitting down in the warm sun by the nursery and spent the rest of the day chatting with Rosering, remembering for the first time what she had done last night

_Oh StarClan, I was so stupid... But it helped me so much. I hope there won't be too many consequences…_

**...**

**I don't know what was wrong with my head in this chapter ^_^ sorry if that one part was perfectly random. I was thinking of something else. I'm such a weird person... But we already knew that.**

**Please Review!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Greetings my follow fan-fictionists.**

**REVIEWS**

**"Wydclaw"- Yeah, but I don't usually like to repeat characters... so maybe not.**

**"Leviathan48"- I already have it planned out, its going to be great! and Cloudpatch was the ShadowClan apprentice she knew.**

**"splinterclaw"- Well, she can't be completely perfect ;)**

**"Birdflame"- I'm totally going to have a poll on who she should be mates with cause I can't decide!**

**ShadowHawk540- Well, she's not going to have mates in three different Clans, two at the most... I don't know.**

**Nyankitty22- Thank you! glad you liked it**

**"walkswithwheels"- No Bluestar and Oakheart situations here! yet. I haven't planned this story out at all except for a few aspects. And yeah, Shadowfern is like a 18 year old or something, just in that daring age. I actually don't know since I'm just 14, until like two days from now. And its not really unfaithful, but it kind of lacks respect and is just begging for envious fights, so not having multiple mates is for the best. **

**"rainpool77"- Ah, pesky touchy technology.**

**"Stormwatcher"- Me too! of course, I love to put my characters in difficult positions.**

**Cindermoon2002- love squares are the best...**

**AEIOU- Yeah, bad choices have a habit of leading to bad results...**

**Dawn- You know, I can't keep track of Blueshadow's children either, at least the ones that died, there was a Voleear or somehin' and then a Rosekit? I dunno.**

**I Stay Unnamed- I love that idea, using her to make trouble... can I use that in a different story?**

**Angelflight- That'd be a bit predictable, and I don't like that so much... though I'm sure I do that ALL THE TIME.**

**fallen- Oh my gosh that would have been great! **

**frostfoot- Yeah, we all know she needs to die, but Tallstar needed to die seasons before he kicked the bucket. So lets not be too impatient... (P.S I'm totally with you on this, I just keep forgetting)**

**"CrystalStar Of LightClan"- Oh she's so good at doing that, I'm really glad you gave her for me to use ;)**

**Dawnfeather- More like a bad week *he he* first her apprentice almost dies, then she almost dies, doesn't make her look too good.**

**Chapter 11**

The next morning, Shadowfern padded to the medicine-cat den to visit Crystalheart, who hadn't gone back to the warriors den after being taken to the medicine-cat den. She spotted the yellow and white she-cat, just a heap of fur in the early morning.

But she was looking better, her injured leg wrapped in a poultice, and her shoulder no longer looked disjointed. "Hey, Crystalheart," she mewed quietly, not wanting to wake Whitepaw or Softberry.

"Shadowfern?" the she-cat murmured sleepily.

"How are you doing?" Shadowfern asked, sitting down by her nest.

"Better, my shoulder was dislocated, but Softberry fixed that. Though she says I have to take it easy for a quarter moon," the warrior added ruefully.

Shadowfern's whiskers twitched, "I bet that's _so_ difficult," she teased.

"Hey!" Crystalheart protested, sitting up and blowing out a breath that made her whiskers tremble. "You'd hate it too," she argued.

Shadowfern nodded, "I guess so."

"Anyways, I wanted to ask a favor of you," Crystalheart mewed.

"Yes?" she inquired.

"Could you take over Nightpaw's training until I'm back to warrior duties? I've already spoken with Stormstar, she said it'd be fine," Crystalheart mewed.

Shadowfern tilted her head for a moment, thinking. "Okay, I guess that's fine," she mewed.

"Thanks, Shadowfern!" Crystalheart purred.

Shadowfern spied movement in the dark den and recognized her brother. She felt a pang of unease, she wasn't ready to speak to him again, and she hadn't had time to work out the prophecy yet. "See you later," she mewed quickly, turning and trotting out of the den.

She saw Lionclaw organizing the first hunting patrols of the day, and she headed over to the apprentices den. "Nightpaw!" she called. She waited a moment for the dark gray she-cat to stumble out of the den, her dark green eyes blinking against the sunlight.

"Shadowfern?" Nightpaw mumbled sleepily.

"Crystalheart asked me to take over your training while she recovers," Shadowfern explained.

"Great!" Nightpaw purred her tail curling in delight.

"I'd like to do battle-training today, since you hunted yesterday. Then you can take care of the elders," Shadowfern mewed, leading the apprentice out of camp. They walked mostly in silence, Shadowfern testing Nightpaw every so often on their way to the training hollow.

When they reached the hollow, Shadowfern saw it was empty and the rising sun shone gold on the sand. A few puddles showed where the snow had melted, but other than that, it was clear.

"Alright, see if you can get past me to the other side of the hollow without me stopping you," Shadowfern mewed, turning to face the young she-cat, crouching low and staying absolutely still. It was the one thing she'd taken from her mother's fighting style.

Nightpaw crouched opposite her, tail lashing and eyes flicking from side to side. The apprentice darted forward; Shadowfern saw that although she was heading in one direction, she was leaning in another. Shadowfern aimed for the direction in which she was leaning.

She guessed right and she fell upon the apprentice, using her quick paws to cuff her head and rolled the apprentice on her back. "I think you failed," Shadowfern mewed, looking down into the frustrated face of the apprentice.

"I think I know what you did wrong, you tried to feign your direction, but you leaned too heavily in the other, you would have been off balance even if I hadn't stopped you and it'd have taken just a small push to stop you," Shadowfern mewed while Nightpaw listened carefully.

"Do you know what you can do differently?" Shadowfern questioned.

Nightpaw tilted her head to one side. "Stay balanced? But how do I do that if I'm going to switch directions so quickly?"

"I'll show you," Shadowfern mewed. "Watch carefully," she instructed. She fixed her eyes on two different spots; she raced for one, low and full-forced. But just as she neared the spot she was heading in, she flung her fore-paws to the side, still too low on the ground to lose balance, and swung herself around, ending up on the other spot.

"Wow! But how did you keep your balance when you moved so quickly?" Nightpaw asked in confusion.

"Did you see how close I was to the ground? It's a lot easier to swerve when you're close to the ground, and it's easier to keep your footing when you are so low. Now you try it," Shadowfern ordered, nodding at Nightpaw.

The apprentice nodded and narrowed her eyes, fixing them on the scuffed spots where Shadowfern had been. Then she moved forward, she slowed a little on her turn, but she kept her balance as she swung herself around and she looked proud as she sat up in the spot where Shadowfern had ended.

"Good! Now let's work on attack," Shadowfern mewed. She had Nightpaw attack her. The apprentice's front was good, starting by going for her ears before swooping low to bat at her paws. But when the apprentice lunged at her, her paws seemed slow to grip her and she fumbled about a little as Shadowfern blocked her paw-swipes.

"It seems your paws are a little slow today, do you know what I did to change that?" Shadowfern asked.

Nightpaw shook her head. "I'd run, I'd race practically anything. But we don't have time for that," Shadowfern mewed. "So we shall try something else," leading Nightpaw to the trees surrounding the hollow.

She grabbed a few sticks and set them opposite from each other, about two tail-lengths from each other in length. "Okay, leap from the closet stick to the next and see if you can make it to the end," Shadowfern mewed.

Nightpaw frowned, "How is this going to help me? It looks so easy!" she mewed.

Shadowfern narrowed her eyes, "Then you won't mind humoring me," she mewed smoothly. The apprentice started at the first stick and landed on the other, twisting around to leap to the stick on the other side, two-tail-lengths forward.

Shadowfern twitched her whiskers as Nightpaw struggled to keep her footing as she continued leaping forward. The apprentice was no more than half-way through when she slipped onto her side with a gasp.

"Not as easy as you thought, eh?" Shadowfern teased with a whicker twitch.

Nightpaw huffed, eyes blazing with frustration. "This is impossible! You do it!" the apprentice challenged.

"Of course," Shadowfern mewed, moving to the start. She started, leaping continuously from one stick to the next, using her tail to keep her balance and keeping her eyes fixed on the next stick at all times, and then, suddenly, she was at the end and she straightened up.

"See, now you try again," Shadowfern mewed.

Nightpaw huffed and went to the start and started leaping forward, again, she fell around half-way through. "It's not fair! You are bigger than me!" Nightpaw complained.

"I'm afraid that excuse wouldn't help you in battle," Shadowfern mewed unsympathetically. "Try again, and this time, keep your eyes on the stick, not the finish," she mewed.

Nightpaw sighed and nodded, heading back to the start. This time she made it through, though a little slow and sloppy. "Better, do it again, I want you to be able to do it perfectly," Shadowfern mewed.

Nightpaw groaned, but didn't protest as she ran through the drill again and again, each time a little faster and neater. "Keep your hind-paws tucked in tighter, keep your front paws level with your shoulders. You have a tail, use it for balance," Shadowfern barked out the orders as the sun rose and fell.

When the sun was half-way down the sky, Shadowfern called it good. "And now," she mewed; "Your paws will be that much quicker and accurate." Nightpaw looked exhausted, but she purred in agreement.

"Here, I'll help you take care of the elders, and then you can rest," Shadowfern mewed as they entered camp, leading a tired Nightpaw to the elders den.

"Hello?" she called softly.

"Shadowfern? Not too busy as a warrior to visit us ancient cats, eh?" the teasing voice belonged to Stoneheart.

"Nope, not yet anyways," Shadowfern answered. Nightpaw gave her a quick, surprised look. "I cared for the elders all by myself for three moons of my apprenticeship," Shadowfern explained quietly. "We're here to take care of you," Shadowfern mewed more loudly to the elders.

"Nightpaw, would you go get some mouse-bile and search them for ticks while I get some moss?" Shadowfern asked.

Nightpaw sighed and nodded, padding back out the entrance. Shadowfern watched her go quickly before turning to Foxtail. "Foxtail, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly, not wanting the other elders to hear.

"What? Yes, of course," the old russet tom mewed.

Shadowfern stared at him for a moment, "Is it true that Blueshadow never had your kits?" she asked, she knew it was true, but she wanted to know something else. How Heathersky looked so much like him.

Foxtail flinched, "Why would you say that?" he mewed, looking at his paws like a naughty apprentice.

"Because I was told, but I also realize Heathersky definitely looks like your daughter, how is that so?" she murmured.

Foxtail flinched away, "I don't have to answer those questions, you already know the answer," he added in a small voice.

"No, but I'm sure I'll find it," she mewed with a sniff of irritableness. _It'd just be so much simpler if every cat would just tell me!_

** …**

Shadowfern was returning with moss clamped beneath her jaws and stuffed in her mouth when she entered a camp full of anxiously-waiting cats. Shadowfern quickly headed for the elders who were sitting outside their log, talking quietly in the long, soft grass next to their den.

"What's going on?" Shadowfern asked, dropping her moss.

"Rosering is kitting," Lightfoot answered, her paws shifting, "I'd go help, but Stoneheart told me to stay…" the elder sighed and Shadowfern remembered she was Rosering's mother.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," she mewed, looking across the clearing. Needlesting was stalking up and down the side of the nursery, black tail flicking restlessly. Shadowfern narrowed her eyes, something about his lithe body and round head… It struck her that he looked exactly like some cat else, but she wasn't sure who. Not a cat in ThunderClan, but a cat she'd seen many times before…

She shook her head and picked up the moss. Nightpaw was searching the elders for ticks and she laid the fresh moss in the nests after clawing up the old and soiled scraps. She dumped the dirty moss outside of camp and then washed her paws in a puddle.

Entering camp again, she flattened her ears against the yowls of pain coming from the nursery. _I never want to have kits…_ Then she winced, what if she did? She couldn't remember what she'd done; she hoped they hadn't done _that._

A screech louder than the previous ones jerked Shadowfern out of her worrisome thoughts. It was followed by a break of silence and then another yowl before purring and tiny mewls filled the air.

Shadowfern felt a rush of relief, all was well. Whitepaw stuck his head out of the nursery and beckoned Needlesting into the nursery. Shadowfern nodded Nightpaw to the apprentices den and ate with the elders as the sun went down.

Around then, most of the Clan had been in to see Rosering's kits, but Shadowfern had left it for last, entering the nursery in the last gleams of red light. Rosering lay in a soft green nest, a soft white shape with glowing pink fur.

Needlesting was curled around his mate, dozing apparently, but with a purr rumbling in his throat. In the nest lay two kits. One was s round looking stone-gray she-kit with silver stripes glistening in the light. The other was a slick black tom with ginger paws, ears, and tail-tip.

"Do they have names?" she asked the new mother who gazed at her kits with love swamping her eyes.

"Yes, the tom is Tigerkit, the she-cat is Dewkit," Rosering murmured.

"They look like lovely kits," Shadowfern purred.

"Yes, they're perfect. But, you'll understand when you have kits of your own," Rosering mewed and Shadowfern instantly stiffened. Could Rosering tell if she was expecting kits, _oh please no._

"When you have kits with Rivertail, they'll look perfect to you," Rosering purred softly.

Shadowfern nodded awkwardly before exiting the den. She headed toward the warriors den. She curled down in her nest, hardly noticing that Aspenclaw had moved his nest to the other side of her.

**…**

Shadowfern woke late the next morning, the dawn patrol had already left and most cats were leaving the den to join hunting patrols. Shadowfern groaned and rolled over in her nest, she'd woken up several times last night thinking of the prophecy, she thought it ought to be obvious, but it wasn't to her.

"Shadowfern! Stop sleeping like a dormouse and take Nightpaw out hunting!" the voice belonged to Flameclaw who, although had dropped the Bright vs. Blue argument for now, continued being irresistibly annoying.

"Yes sir, would you like me to massage your paws while I'm at it?" Shadowfern muttered too low for him to hear and in an act of irritableness. "I'm coming," she called loudly as Flameclaw shouted at her again.

She shook out her thick fur, her tail brushing the ground as it twitched. She narrowed her eyes against the bright sunlight, though she enjoyed the warmth it shed on her pelt. New-leaf was finally here.

She ignored the annoying orange tom that stared at her in frustration, and instead padded over to Nightpaw who was watching her brothers wrestling on the ground. "Rockpaw, I do believe Leopardberry to meet you at the training hollow this morning," she mewed sternly.

Rockpaw glanced up at her, a flash of resentment in his eyes as he sprang away from his brother and dipped his head, trotting over to the entrance. "Nightpaw," Shadowfern mewed, still watching Rockpaw, realizing how he'd changed from happy and bright to sullen and rebellious.

"We are going hunting," she announced, finally turning her gaze on the young cat under her charge.

"Great! Where?" Nightpaw purred, green eyes watching her.

"Near the ShadowClan border, just past Snakerocks," Shadowfern mewed, picturing the widely spaced trees where squirrels and mice would be hunting for nuts in the bright sun.

"Okay!" Nightpaw purred, charging to the entrance with Shadowfern following more slowly. She felt a tingle in her paw and usually that meant trouble despite the bright blue sky.

She followed the bouncing apprentice through the forest and past Snakerocks, and into the area where the oaks were more widely spaced and there was little undergrowth in the long grass.

"Shh!" she hissed as Nightpaw bounced through a bracken bush, rattling the little sticks noisily. She flicked her ear and pointed with her muzzle toward a squirrel, placing her paw on Nightpaw's crouched back to keep her steady as the squirrel hopped closer, with the wind in their favor, it didn't know they were there.

"Now!' she whispered and Nightpaw shot forward, slamming the startled squirrel to the ground and ending it with a sharp bite to the neck. "Well done!" she called, and then she halted, fur lifting along her spine as she stretched her ears.

"What is it?" Nightpaw whispered, dropping the squirrel.

"Trouble," Shadowfern growled, hearing the distant shrieks and hisses of fighting cats. "Come on!" she hissed, running forward toward the sound.

The sounds became louder and led her past the stream they crossed to go to Fourtrees. The same place she'd met Marshclaw a few days before, and a fresher memory, where she had spent a night with Cloudpatch, the hazy memories of the night became clearer and she clearly saw where they'd rolled down the slope together, caressing each other and covering each other's faces was passionate licks.

Shadowfern set her mind hard against those memories. She hadn't spent the night with Cloudpatch, she'd just spent a night with a tom, a tom she'd never see again, though her heart beat faster and there was a tingle in her paws. She caught sight of the battling cats, equally numbered and matched.

It looked like both Dawn Patrols. There were Lionclaw, Rivertail, Heathersky, and Robinspot. And the ShadowClan cats were Swiftmoon, Twigleap, Shinepool and… of course, it had to be Cloudpatch. Life always worked in such ironic ways.

Shadowfern let out a yowl and leapt for Swiftmoon who held Lionclaw in an awkward position, his leg was bent in a way it shouldn't have been. Shadowfern carried the milky-gray ShadowClan she-cat off her paws and they faced each other nose-to-nose.

Swiftmoon swiped at her face from one side to the next, but Shadowfern jerked her head away and swiped upward, hitting Swiftmoon's jaw, hard. The she-cat reeled backward, already heavily injured and crossed the border onto her side. But she didn't call for a retreat and circled to the other side to jump on Heathersky who was battling Cloudpatch.

Rage flew through Shadowfern as she watched her half-sister be pulled backward by her neck by Swiftmoon so that Cloudpatch could slice his claws through her defenseless lower chest and belly.

Shadowfern barreled into the three cats, Heathersky turned and swiped at Swiftmoon, swift as a viper, with the neck lock released. Shadowfern turned on Cloudpatch who jumped on her and she grappled with him as they rolled down the slope.

It felt so much like last time… except they were screeching and clawing at each other. Finally Shadowfern got a paw-hold and forced Cloudpatch onto his back with her standing triumphant over him. His fur was torn ragged and he had a scratch on his ear and cheek that was dripping blood… he looked so helpless.

Shadowfern froze for a moment and her gaze locked with Cloudpatch, she seemed to see their night in the reflection of his eyes. She'd told herself that she hadn't cared for him, that he was no cat and that she'd just been using him.

But she realized there'd been a reason she'd done it with him instead of Rivertail or Aspenclaw… Because he was more like her than any other cat in the Clans. She blinked a few times; the noise of the battle seemed to fade into a hazy background.

She jerked her head up as she realized she'd leaned down until his breath ruffled her whiskers. The battle noise rushed back to her along with the bloody stings of her scratches and cuts inflicted on this trespasser. "Don't come on my territory," she mewed, voice harder than stone.

She lifted her paw again, barely aware he wasn't even struggling in her grip and that his blue eyes stared at her in a swirl of emotions. She looked away and smacked her paw across his muzzle, realizing a moment later she'd sheathed her claws.

She looked down at him, his blue eyes had brightened and she saw thousands of questions that reflected her own mind. She couldn't resist adding, "At least, don't come on my territory if I don't invite you over," and with a strained smirk, jumped off of him and chased him back up the slope and into ShadowClan territory where the rest of the ShadowClan patrol had retreated to.

Shadowfern didn't meet any cat's eyes as Lionclaw led them home, leaning heavily on Robinspot, who'd been least injured in the fight with just a few missing tufts of fur. Shadowfern sent Nightpaw to collect the squirrel as they passed by the spot they'd hunted, and she listened to the report of the fight.

Apparently, ShadowClan has accused ThunderClan of crossing their borders, though the patrol had found no evidence and Shadowfern wondered if her scent had possibly blown over from a few nights before, though she found that unlikely after an icy drizzle had fallen the night before and had washed away Cloudpatch's scent that had been heavy on ThunderClan territory.

Anyways, it had elevated into a fight to make a long story short. When they reached camp, their Clan-mates pressed around as they went to the medicine-cat den. Shadowfern tried to skip out, but Whitepaw kept her from leaving and he told her she'd have to wait through all the other cats now.

So she sat, watching Softberry study Lionclaw's wrenched shoulder as Whiteaaw took care of the other cats. Finally her brother got around to her and applied marigold ointment to her scratches and bound the larger ones with cobwebs.

"How's Lionclaw?" Shadowfern asked.

Whitepaw looked at her sharply, "He's too old to have such an injury, Softberry says it'll never heal fully. In any way, he can't be deputy anymore, he'll have to learn to walk on that leg again, and it won't be strong enough to keep up with border patrols. Possibly hunting near camp will be possible, but nothing more," Whitepaw mewed.

Shadowfern pricked her ears, "You know all that already?" she asked.

Whitepaw nodded, "Softberry said that she'd seen an elder retired early who had the same problem," Whitepaw mewed.

"In ThunderClan?" Shadowfern frowned, racking her memory.

"Yeah, you remember Sweetspot, right?" Whitepaw mewed with an edge to his voice.

"Oh!" Shadowfern nodded, remembering the bright tortoiseshell that'd died in her first moon of apprenticeship. She'd never been close to any elders until she'd become an apprentice, so she hadn't know her too well.

"So there will be a new deputy?" Shadowfern asked.

"Probably, Lionclaw has already asked Stormstar to come here to talk to him," Whitepaw mewed. At that moment the gray patched leader came in and padded quickly to her deputy.

They talked too low for Shadowfern to hear anything and she was sent out as soon as Whitepaw was finished treating her wounds. Shadowfern left but stopped just outside the fern tunnel and turned toward Crystalheart who had left to give room for the injured cats.

"Shadowfern! What's Stormstar doing with Lionclaw?" her friend asked, sky-blue eyes bright with curiosity.

"Oh, Whitepaw says that Lionclaw can no longer be deputy, so I suppose that's what they're talking about," Shadowfern mewed quickly, wanting to focus her attention on something other than a white and gray patched tom.

"Really?! Who do you think the next deputy will be?" Crystalherat asked, eyes gleaming with intense interest. Shadowfern sat and gossiped until Stormstar came out, speculating who the next deputy would be. Crystalheart it'd be some young cat, maybe Rivertail. Shadowfern proposed Harespring, Goldenmist, or Silverwing.

They didn't have to wait long for Stormstar went immediately to Highrock and called a meeting. Shadowfern watched with hunger biting at her paws and breathing down her neck. Stormstar had hinted a deputyship, and technically, she had been training Nightpaw, it could buy it for her.

"ThunderClan, I am afraid to report that Lionclaw has been severely injured," Stormstar announced. Cats wailed in anger and grief. Shadowfern glanced at Mossleaf, her dark tortoiseshell half-sister who happened to be Lionclaw's mate. Her dark amber eyes were shadowed with worry.

"He has retired for the time being to see if he will recover, and so there must be a new deputy," Stormstar continued. Silence fell as they awaited Stormstar made her choice. "I say these words before StarClan so that they may hear and approve my choice," Stormstar spoke the ritual words while her eyes floated over her Clan.

Shadowfern could feel the blood pounding in her ears and her heart thumping in her chest. All thoughts about Cloudpatch pushed to the back of her mind. "The new deputy is Goldenmist," the words slapped Shadowfern like a wave of water, but she had been expecting it and took it well as her heart slowed.

_One day, but not today._ She watched as the Clan rushed to congratulate the pleased she-cat. As Shadowfern had expected, the she-cat was experienced but not as old as Lionclaw had been. She'd also been completely neutral on the Bright and Blue argument, sympathizing with both sides and had remained popular with all the Clan.

But Shadowfern had noticed as Stormstar had named the new deputy, two cats that had flinched. It'd been an expectant flinch, but neither went forward to congratulate the new deputy. _Weird, I know Rockpaw wants to be leader but he couldn't have possibly expected to be deputy while he's an apprentice. And I never knew _she_ wanted to be deputy either…_

**...**

**Grr... good bye forever chapter! it took me three stinkin days to write you and I never want to see you again! *starts kicking things* Grarh!**

**Ugh, its so frustrating to get so little done... But its all over and I love my new haircut, so the week wasn't a complete waste. (I also got a 98% on my science test, so that was good) **

**I can't believe its going to be warm enough for me to wear short sleeves on my birthday... ITS THE MIDDLE OF WINTER! And then there are all these idiots going on and on about climate change... SINCE WHEN DID THE CLIMATE NOT CHANGE?**

**Just stupid scientists, no, nevermind, I'm talking sense again and the communists don't like that. **

**Who am I talking to? I hope you guys didn't read that... I didn't even realize I was typing but am too lazy to delete it... PLEASE FRICKEN' REVIEW! **

with a cherry on top?


	13. Chapter 12

**Hello! so, this is a day late, but, I was spending a lot of my time on frivolous games that I didn't even WIN! I almost cried...**

**REVIEWS**

**"Birdflame"- You may enjoy this chapter than**

**"Leviathan48"- I know, right? its supposed to snow again tonight... after being 60 degrees yesterday (deserts are weird)**

**"pianodevotion"- yeah, there's a heavy hint or to in this chapter. And thanks for fricken reviewing with a cherry on top!**

**"Spottedmist"- I don't like to take long writing a chapter because then it just feels disjointed**

**"rainpool77"- I know, right? blast from the past...**

**"Nightfrost-of-ShadowClan"- everyone loves cherries! (well, not my friend whose allergic)**

**"tye dye tail"- thanks!**

**"Blazerkitty129"- Thank you! and something does indeed seemed to have come up between them...**

**"Indigostartherandomkitty"- That must have been fun, I'm a loser so I only have one friend. who is also my sister's friend, so we're just having a sleepover instead if a party. and you'll have to wait until uhh... the first eight paragraphs to find out? somethin' like that**

**"walkswihwheels"- You analyze my story so well it seems like I've made everything obvious -_- No, I'm just kidding, though you were real close. And it is true that the climate has already changed! come on, we knows the dinosaur's lived when it was hotter and we know there have been ice ages! hello! thinky people... its just a scam if you ask me. **

**"Splinterclaw"- thanks**

**"I Am Basic"- Yeah, I see people wearing shorts and I'm like, 'I get we live in a desert, but it gets cold too!' I don't know, I just couldn't take it as my family keeps the house at 67 degrees. I'd have to be like my grandparent's home where its over 70**

**"Stormwatcher"- Thanks! and that's the idea ;)**

**"3Snow Fox3"- Yeah, lots of people ship Shadow&cloud, but nothings certain, whatever this chapter may tell you. There is hope for you ;) **

**BramblestripeTC- Yeah, the 'she' was on purpose. And she's not exactly switching, just keeping her options open!**

**frostfoot- Well... not exactly, I won't have ro- actually I'm just going to shut up.**

**Nyankitty22- Well, nothings certain yet, but there will be some fluffiness for them**

**Cindermoon2002- a 92 isn't that bad, as long as its in the 90s, its acceptable for me! And for your question... read the second paragraph!**

**none- nope, the 'she,' was on purpose.**

**AEIOU- I know, I meet so many people and I want to call them my friends, but I've never met them! so I can never be sure. And you're right, I shouldn't diss scientists, most of them are good, though there are those few who are so determined to believe something that they will explode every bit of evidence, its annoying. But, I _will_ diss communists, as much as I please. Its not just about a disagreement, communist rule in every country it has controlled, has brought mass murder. Its dangerous, and I won't stand for it not now or ever, no compromise. But happy early birthday! I shall try my best to update quickly!**

**Dawnfeather- Yeah, and Rockpaw's going to be... I dunno, haven't decided quite yet**

**ShadowHawk540- that sounds like a cool bridge! and I'm taking biology, so how things live... right now I studying plants and photosynthesis... it is the most boring thing ever -_-**

**Lazy Watermelon- Thanks! and it sounds like you've got the same sickness like my family (I haven't gotten it yet though, fingers crossed!) hope you get better soon, and please enjoy this chapter!**

**Dawn- the 'she,' was on purpose, keep you guessing ;) And ambition does seem important for cats who want to be leaders...**

**Sandfire- thanks! and there will be some of everything, just not in this chapter.**

**I Stay Unnamed- Yeah, the 'she,' was on purpose. and thank you!**

**Isabel- Thanks!**

**Angelflight- Thanks! and... *sigh* yes... it was Crystalheart. Thought that'd be heard to get...**

**Chapter 12**

A moon passed, then another, and another. Life went on, but didn't at the same time. For Shadowfern, she worked hard from dawn to dusk, anxiously avoiding her problems.

It turned out she was not expecting kits, which was a good thing. Crystalheart returned to warrior duties and training Nightpaw, that was a bittersweet time. Lionclaw didn't recover well and was actively spending time with the elders; that was sad.

Goldenmist had proven to be a capable deputy and kept the Clan running smoothly. Rosering's kits got into trouble more and more often and Tigerkit turned to be the more sensitive and curious while Dewkit was more bold and crafty.

The weather turned warm, that was good. Prey was plentiful and for the first time in her life, the Clan had to be careful to not overeat. But the worries pressing on her mind, coming from four toms, kept Shadowfern biting her tongue and leaf-bare thin.

She'd grown distant from Rivertail after meeting Cloudpatch in battle, and he was constantly pressuring her to come back to him. Aspenclaw didn't help the matter, pretending to be the calm and helpful cat that only wanted the best for her, though was convinced that he was the best for her.

She had kept away from the ShadowClan border and had skipped the last three gatherings to avoid him, unwilling to meet him until she was ready. She knew he was waiting, patiently and earnestly, longing for her like she longed for him but also firmly reminding themselves they could never be.

Whitepaw continually pressured her for anything she may have come up with for the prophecy, growing angrier as he went without a complete name. But nothing had happened to shed any light on the matter, she'd wondered if there would be a conflict between ThunderClan and RiverClan, since they had Rockpaw, and RiverClan had Stonefoot.

But the Clans had been at peace and the argument between Blue and Bright hadn't flared up in a moon and the Clan would move on fully by the end of green-leaf. But Shadowfern knew she had to solve her personal problems, she knew she was harming herself, her fur was rumpled and had lost its shine and she looked gaunt instead of slender.

Her green eyes were dull, her claws were dull, her moves sloppy. She didn't need to be told that she was killing herself and that she was turning into a useless warrior. The elders had talked to her several times about it but she hadn't even told them what was wrong, same with Softberry and Stormstar.

She knew they were all watching her anxiously, she knew they were disappointed, she knew they were worried. It hurt her and just added to the pressure.

"Shadowfern, you are coming to the gathering tonight no matter what, so why don't you get a rest and something to eat," Goldenmist's voice broke through her wearisome thoughts.

Shadowfern coughed and nodded, she wasn't feeling well, but Softberry hadn't found anything wrong and she wondered if she just needed to drink some water. When had she last drunk water? She couldn't remember.

She stumbled from the dusty sunlight and into a cool patch of shade outside the warriors den. She dozen on and off, barely aware when Rivertail and Aspenclaw came up and licked her ears affectionately. She hadn't the energy to tell them to leave for the hundredth time.

She must have slipped into a deeper sleep, but when she woke she still felt hot and dusty, her cheeks flushed and her fur messy. She tried to clean her fur, but her tongue was too dry. She found a pool at the edge of camp and lapped up until she could touch her lips without tasting blood.

She grimaced at her reflection in the water. But she had no time to worry about her looks; her mind was once again on the prophecy. _Stones scrape stones and bring the Clan down with them…_ It was driving her crazy that she couldn't figure it out.

She licked her fur absently, knowing she couldn't discredit ThunderClan by showing up at the gathering smelly and messy. So she cleaned her fur until it was softer than feathers, but it still had no raven shine that she'd once owned.

Her belly grumbled but she barely felt it. Only the sight of Nightpaw sharing food with her littermates brought Shadowfern to grab a skinny mouse from the fresh-kill pile.

"Are you feeling better, Shadowfern?" Shadowfern didn't recognize the voice and she didn't raise her head, just nodded dully, settling in the shadow of Highrock and picking at the food.

The cat, Shadowfern was too busy thinking to look at it, sat by her side, though Shadowfern felt only space.

"What are you thinking?" the cat sounded softly worried, like a mother.

"Lots of things, I can't figure anything out!" somehow Shadowfern felt she had to talk or explode.

"Well, start small, start with something you know you can figure out, and then maybe you will find something that makes the other things clearer," the cat murmured, whispering in her ear.

"Hey Shadowfern! Who are you talking to?" she recognized that voice as Crystalheart. She jerked her head up in surprise.

"Her of cour-"she broke off. There was no cat next to her, just a patch of faint grass. Frowning, she looked back at her friend who was staring at her quizzically. "T-there was just a cat here," Shadowfern mewed in confusion.

"Who?" Crystalherta asked, sounding nervous.

"I-I don't know," Shadowfern murmured, feeling fresher and better as a new curiosity pulled at her. She sniffed the air, the scent of shadows and ice touched her tongue… and a hint of familiar warm scent… _Blueshadow?_

Unease and excitement swelling in her belly, Shadowfern chewed the rest of her mouse thoughtfully. "So, are you going to the gathering?" Crystalheart asked, sitting beside her.

"Yeah, you?" Sahdowfern asked.

"No, I went last time. But, you're looking better, how do you feel?" Crystalheart asked. Unlike the others, she hadn't worried, but she'd kept an eye on her. Shadowfern had liked that.

"I do feel a little better, it's good to have something else to think about," Shadowfern mewed with a wave of cold relief.

"Well, you sound a lot better. I was worried for a bit, you weren't taking care of yourself, why was that?" Crystalheart asked.

"Because some cats are morons," Shadowfern answered, glaring at Rivertail and Aspenclaw who were hissing at each other.

"They certainly are, though I'd like a tom to fight over me," Crystalheart sighed.

Shadowfern looked at her as if she was crazy, "Trust me, you don't," she mewed.

Crystalheart simply shrugged, "I guess you're right, besides, I have my sights on something else…" Crystalheart nodded and padded away to talk to Nightpaw.

Shadowfern felt a surge of clarity for a moment, a picturesque glowing rock like the Moonstone… _A rock…_ Shadowfern felt a shiver as she realized what that might mean. Swallowing hard, she buried the bones of her meal and headed briskly for the medicine-cat den.

"Whitepaw? Can I talk to you?" she called softly. Whitepaw glanced at her from where he was sorting herbs next to Softberry. He spoke a word with Softberry before padding over to her.

"What is it?" Whitepaw asked with a sigh.

"I-I think I've figured out the prophecy," Shadowfern mewed with a nervous twitch of her whiskers and an excited flick of her tail.

Whitepaw's eyes widened and he nudged her into a quiet corner of the camp. "What do you think it means?" he asked anxiously.

"I think it means Rockpaw and Crystalheart will divide the Clan over deputyship," Shadowfern mewed a low tone. Whitepaw twitched his whiskers in disappointment.

"What?" Shadowfern asked.

"That is highly unlikely, Rockapw isn't even a warrior, I've never seen Crystalheart ambitious about anything, and we just got a new deputy. Is that really the best you could come up with after moons of thought?" Whitepaw asked.

Shadowfern was taken back, "What do you mean? You couldn't come up with anything! You asked for my advice, and this is what I have!" Shadowfern mewed, flustered and angry.

"I came up with several explanations, all more likely than that. I mean, really? How could the Clan split up over a matter that a leader makes?" Whitepaw sighed.

Shadowfern glared at him, "Silverstar decided that Blueshadow was a murderer, did that stop the Clan from dividing? And division is now something the Clan is used to, I doubt it could be that difficult to stir up bad feelings," Shadowfern mewed hotly.

Whitepaw rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right. Look, I've got to go, if you figure anything else out, tell me. But no ridiculous assumptions," Whitepaw mewed, padding away.

_How dare he!_ She thought incredulously. Huffing, she thought it over again and again; it made sense the more she thought of it. Crystalheart was a former rogue, if she was chosen as deputy next time… Then Rockpaw, if he was qualified, could get enough support to make a revolt…

Shadowfern shook her head, maybe it was ridiculous… But somehow she didn't think it was so far-fetched… So now she had a new decision to make and a challenge to complete. _I need to figure out how to stop the situation and need to prove it to Whitepaw…_

…

The hollow of Fourtrees looked different to Shadowfern, who had only seen it in leaf-bare. The grass was stained silver and rustled softly like tiny feathers and just as soft. The four Great Oaks were in full leaf and seemed to touch the sky in their massive height.

Only WindClan had arrived before them and Shadowfern held back and observed Sootstar, the elderly old leader nod weakly at Stormstar. WindClan had grown since last leaf-bare, with two litters of kits in the nursery now and two apprentices.

Shadowfern nodded at Quailfeather who had earned her warrior name recently. Her brothers had as well, Tigerfang and Clayfur. "How is ThunderClan?" the WindClan she-cat asked.

"Fine, thank you. And WindClan?" Shadowfern asked curtly.

"All's well, and Honeypool had her kits, they are adorable," Quailfeather's brown eyes were round with warmth. "Anyways, I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, been busy," Shadowfern mumbled awkwardly, looking past the silver and brown she-cat. Her eyes fixed on Sootstar who was staring at Needlesting with a wistful expression in her remote blue eyes. They looked so similar…

Shadowfern's suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Sootstar looked at Foxtail who sat with Lightfoot in a group of elders. Their gazes met and Sootstar's eyes flashed with pain when Foxtail's eyes flashed with anger.

_So, Blueshadow wasn't the only one with secrets…_ She twitched her whiskers with mild amusement, it felt nice to solve something again. Though it didn't matter much to her, they obviously had gone back to their own Clans and Sootstar had given her kits away to be leader. Shadowfern almost felt sorry for her.

_But she'll be joining StarClan soon... I wonder where Driftflower is tonight._ She couldn't see the gray and white tabby deputy among the other lithe WindClan cats. She turned to Quailfeather, "Where's Driftflower?" she questioned.

Quailfeather's eyes darkened, "We haven't seen her in days, she went out hunting and didn't come back. We couldn't track her scent, thanks to the wind and rain, and there's a temporary deputy for now," Quailfeather explained in a hushed tone, always one to be open.

Shadowfern nodded as she took in the information. It was quite odd for a cat to go missing, especially a deputy. _Likely she was killed by a dog or something, shame._ "So who's the new deputy?" Shadowfern asked, but Quailfeather had turned away to greet the arrived RiverClan cats.

Shadowfern wasn't too interested and only briefly responded to the greetings. RiverClan hadn't much news this moon, funny since all the moons before when Shadowfern hadn't attended something had always happened. Such as; the elders Petalwish, Stripeclaw, and Rippleleaf had died. And Beechtail had been added to the elders den.

The kits Otterkit, Flakekit, and Reedkit had become apprentices, Reedpaw becoming apprentice to the medicine-cat. And Shadowfern's friends had finally become warriors, now Fallpool and Sheenfur. Also, a Berrystem had two kits, Mulchkit and Bravekit, toms.

Shadowfern had been waiting for something, though she wasn't sure what. But the moment she saw Cloudpatch's face among the arrived ShadowClan cats, her heart started beating faster and her anxieties bit at her mind.

She silently thanked Rivertail or Aspenclaw weren't there, they watched her so closely they would have realized something was up. Almost unknowingly, she went to the place she would always meet the other apprentices.

It was abandoned, but only for a moment. Fallpool and Sheenfur arrived with Cloudpatc and the friends greeted each other warmly. "How are things in ThunderClan?" Fallpool asked, blue eyes glowing.

"Very well, thank you," Shadowfern mewed.

"You don't look too well," Sheenfur observed and Shadowfern felt a rush of heat.

"Oh, uh, I've been a bit busy," Shadowfern mumbled in response, looking away uncomfortably.

"With what?" Cloudpatch's voice was sharp and it felt like ice breaking on her skin as she tried not to flinch.

"Stuff," Shadowfern mewed, giving Cloudpatch a hard stare that warned him not to ask.

"Well… Where's Pinestar, Cloudpatch?" Fallpool's voice broke through the awkward silence.

Shadowfern blinked and suddenly realized she couldn't see the old leader in the dark Clan. "Dead," Cloudpatch's voice was heavy.

"How?" Sheenfur asked orange eyes sharp and calculating.

Cloudpatch shrugged, "She was just old, Marshstar is a good leader and we have a great new deputy," Cloudpatch mewed.

Shadowfern's ears pricked, "Is the new deputy Nightmoon?" Shadowfern asked.

Cloudpatch flinched in surprise, "How did you know?" he asked.

Shadowfern shrugged, smirking and showing her white fangs, "Lucky guess," she purred. Shadowfern's gaze met Cloudpatch's for a long moment; Shadowfern's mouth went dry as she stared into those twin blue stars.

One question remained, how did he feel about her?

**… Cloudpatch's POV**

"Hey Cloudpatch, are you coming to the gathering?" Cloudpatch looked up at Shiverleaf, his best friend but always trying to get him to be with Songfall.

"Yeah, you?" Cloudpatch responded, rubbing his paws on the cold, hard ground.

"Yep! It'll be the first gathering with Marshstar, it is a great honor," Shiverleaf mewed, sitting down next to him.

Cloudpatch looked across at the dark brown tabby with dark yellow eyes. Every cat said Marshstar looked like Thornclaw, his father. Marshstar had been the talk for moons, since no cat knew who his mother was, it had been rumored Mistcloud had been, but the she-cat had never said anything about the matter. Either she was the mother, or she knew who the mother was.

Cloudpatch loved mysteries; they were so elusive and exciting, though he could never solve anything. He looked at the setting sun, casting scarlet light over the camp. He was looking forward to the gathering for a different reason.

_Will she be there tonight? Will I have a chance to talk to her? _ He hadn't seen Shadowfern since the battle nearly three moons ago. They'd never encountered on the border and she hadn't been to the first two gatherings but he didn't know if she had been to the one last moon, as he hadn't gone.

_What if she did and then she doesn't come tonight?_ He wasn't even sure why he wanted to see her; he wasn't going to become her mate, not now and not ever. At least, that's what he told himself. Even that one wild night he had pulled away at the last second.

Shadowfern had seemed in a dazed by then and he hadn't wanted to feel like he'd been taking advantage of her and the possible consequences had been scary enough. But at the fight, he had met her eyes and he hadn't been able to breathe. He still could feel the soft swat as she had swiped her soft, sheathed paw across his face slowly, as if she were feeling it instead of harming it. Remembering the feeling sent shivers down his spine and longing pulled at him for that feeling once more.

"Cloudpatch!" the gray and white tom started as two tiny bundles slammed into his side, rolling around his paws. He recognized Hollykit and Pinekit, Sageleaf's four moon old kits. "Tell us all about the gathering, okay?" Hollykit begged, large green eyes staring at him hopefully.

"Okay, but only if you're in the nursery when I get back," Cloudpatch conceded.

"Yay!" the two littermates cheered, Hollykit bounding after her brother back to the nursery to join their mother, Sageleaf's pale red fur streaked with gray looked thin and her gray-green eyes looked more gray than usual.

Cloudpatch reminded himself to try to play with the kits tomorrow to give the queens a break. With no apprentices, the kits looked up to him and he and Songfall usually ended up doing the apprentice tasks, though Thornheart would help occasionally.

But Marshstar was now leading the Clan out and they followed in comfortable silence, falling into line and step like an unmovable force. Cloudpatch felt a rush of pride to be representing his Clan, ShadowClan was the strongest fighters, the fiercest defenders, and the most respected Clan.

RiverClan cats were fat and lazy, preferring to get their paws wet rather than hunt like real cats. WindClan would run at the first sight of claws, hiding like rabbits in tunnels. ThunderClan cowered behind undergrowth and pretended to be brave and noble on their own territory, but they turned weak once out of their protective trees.

_ThunderClan is just full of fools who think they are always right while everyone else is wrong… ThunderClan is moronic… and beautiful…_ An image of a black she-cat with thick, soft fur and mysterious green eyes in his mind made his heart beat faster.

He thought of her as they crossed beneath the Thunderpath and crested the slope to Fourtrees. He brought himself back to reality and scented that they were the last Clan to arrive. Marshstar led them down, head up proudly and confident steps.

Cloudpatch mimicked him, though he sighed away from mingling. He didn't like to talk to just any cat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of dark gray and silver and saw Fallpool and Sheenfur moving toward where they would meet as apprentices.

Wondering if Shadowfern would be there, he followed them and joined them with a nod just as they arrived at the secluded spot. His eyes were drawn immediately to the slender black cat sitting there. She sat with her paws close together and her fox-thick tail hid them from view. Her smooth, round head and sharply pointed large ears stood out form the black blanket.

He looked in her eyes, but she wasn't looking at him, she was welcoming them with her naturally quiet and smooth voice. He stared at her and numbly noted the welcome, wishing he could touch noses with her and breathe in her breath.

Her eyes flickered as she talked with the RiverClan cats. He hardly heard the conversation, but he saw awkwardness and an underlying hint of frustration and anger. Her green eyes, darker than holly leaves, always narrowed, were just hardly visible slits in the endless black fur.

"I've been busy," the she-cat was replying hotly to the RiverClan cats. Cloudpatch narrowed his eyes, he knew a cover-up when he heard one.

"With what?" he asked, wondering if she-d been so busy playing with toms from her own Clan to bother with him. He supposed lots of toms must want her, she was so pretty…

"With stuff," Shadowfern retorted, eyes narrowed meaningfully, telling him she wouldn't tell him anything more.

Cloudpatch swallowed hard as he listened to her, she didn't look as well as usual, her fur didn't look as smooth, a little ragged, and her eyes weren't just dark, they were dull, they didn't glow. They talked about that for a while, Cloudpatch feared his concern was too obvious, and then they talked about the change in ShadowClan leadership.

Finally, Cloudpatch got Shadowfern to look at him and he held his breath, savoring the brief moment. He wanted nothing more than to press up against her side and feel her fur and shape. He wished they were somewhere all alone, not at a gathering, and he could pull her back into a bush and feel all of her.

Did she want the same? He wasn't going to ask here…not tonight. The leader's called the formal part of the gathering and Cloudpatch couldn't bear to leave her side, so they sat close in between the two Clans. Shadowfern seemed transfixed by the news, but Cloudpatch just stared at her, couldn't take his eyes off her.

The only news he really got out was the announcement that Marshstar was leader in which he cheered with his Clan. And also that the WindClan deputy, Driftflower, had gone missing and been replaced by Birchfoot.

It seemed only a few moments, but the Clans began slitting up, ready to go home. Desperate panic filled Cloudpatch and he found his voice again. "Shadowfern," he whispered as she turned away. She looked back at him, an expectant question in her eyes. "Meet me by the border," his whisper was hoarse and he hardly realized it when she gave the tiniest of nods, not even saying anything.

_That's it…_ he thought, feeling dazed as he padded back to camo from the gathering. _I asked to meet a ThunderClan she-cat… and I couldn't be happier. _

**…**

The next night, Cloudpatch went to the place on the border where they had first met, worriedly waiting. The day had dragged out painfully slow, one meaningless task after another and he hadn't stopped thinking of Shadowfern.

His eyes gazed into the darkness, the moon was veiled and the stars seemed especially bright. He heard the soft tread of paw-steps and a flash of green eyes told him it was Shadowfern. He dared not call out, but let out a faint mew to let her know he was there.

"Cloudpatch?" her voice was softer than usual, sounded more enticing. Cloudpatch stepped over the border and stood in front of her in a moment. Her soft voice and warm breath, and with her sweet scent messed with his head until he was pressing his side against hers, the perfect bend of her bones fit into his side.

"I'm so glad you came," he purred heavily, licking her ears. He felt a surge of joy as she didn't move away but sighed and leaned into him.

"I'm glad you asked me here then," Shadowfern sighed, sounding weary and relived.

"What do you want to do?" Cloudpatch asked, wishing desperately that she wouldn't mind mating.

Shadowfern tilted her head for her eyes to look into his, they were round and trusting. "You decide," she whispered, brushing her muzzle hard against hers.

Cloudpatch purred and instantly set to work, not wanting to waste time. He found a large bush that was fairly prickly but hollow and had soft moss on the inside, big enough for them to stretch out comfortably. He licked Shadowfern's fur, enveloping himself in her scent and touch.

Once she was thoroughly covered with his scent, he rolled her over, loving how she just went along with what he asked of her. He licked her belly fur the wrong way, purring at her little laughs as he gently tickled her, keeping his eyes locked with her gaze at all times. He forgot that night what the Clans meant, it was just him and Shadowfern.

The night was warm and musty, making Cloudpatch think it'd storm around morning. But right now, it was just him and her. He curled around her, shifting and rolling to get a feel of Shadowfern's bones against his. He loved that night.

Sometime around midnight his instincts finally got the better of him and he asked her to allow him to make her his. She had jerked away, confused and questioningly, but her words fell on deaf ears. He wanted to do it, and he wanted to do it now. Just once.

He started teasing her, tweaking her tail, nibbling at her ear, pulling her scruff gently until she finally gave in. Shadowfern obviously was slightly uncomfortable and didn't even seem to know what to do, Cloudpatch enjoyed teaching her.

He set her into a crouch and mounted her, clamping her sides with his forelegs to keep her from moving and biting her scruff to hold her still. He knew it was awkward, she was tense and he wasn't sure how to do it completely. But it was over after ten seconds and Shadowfern had pulled away, muttering about how she thought it wasn't supposed to hurt and in a dazed shock until her eyes grew completely horrified as if she had realized something.

Cloudpatch linked in confusion as she turned her back on him, shoulders shaking in silence. "What is it?" He murmured, licking her cheek gently, and curling his larger body around her.

She jerked her head up and stared intensely at him, Cloudpatch was shocked by the smoldering fire in her eyes, he had never seen such emotion… He loved it. "Don't ever do that to me again," she snarled, anger and fear dancing in the flames.

Cloudpatch blinked, "But you said I could decide," he murmured.

Shadowfern shook her head, "That was a mistake, I should have known better than to trust you. I didn't even know what we were doing until we did it. If ever any cat would to find out…" Shadowfern's eyes enveloped in misery and she sobbed into his shoulder. "Even you have become so confusing… nothing makes sense anymore!" she cried.

Cloudpatch felt a pang in his chest as he realized what she meant. She had trusted him, and he had let her down. He hoped he hadn't lost her. Little did he realize that he had done exactly what he had wanted, he had made her his, until his death.

**...**

**I considered bumping the rating to T+ but I think this'll be the last chapter with such a thing... not that I made it graphic at all, even I couldn't bear that *_* Anyways... I liked that ominous note at the end... not sure how that's going to work out or whatever. **

**Did you guys see how many reviews I got? Thank you people! I should yell at you to review more often... *goofy smile look***

**So please speculate the chapter in a Review!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Oh my gosh hi! I know, I'm late again... but the superbowl was quite distracting and this is a slightly longer chapter. **

**REVIEWS**

**"Indigostartherandomkitty"- Thanks! and don't worry, all the slightly sexual stuff is over. (Though, its just cats, so its not as bad)**

**"Leviathan48"- I know! I'm really proud of it and I love (mutually) everyone who enjoys it! **

**"Birdflame"- ominous notes are perfect for that ;)**

**"Spottedmist"- Thanks! and yeah, though its not supposed to go quite like that...**

**"wlkaswithwheels"- Yeah, and I'm done, I just had to do that to put such a thing in Shadowfern's character. And Crystalheart isn't ambitious... so to speak, but, well, I kind of explain it in this chapter. And that's an interesting college major, so, I have a question. Based on my writing style, f I were to write my own book, do you think it could be published? (I have no money for self-publishing, so it'd have to be traditional)**

**"Nightfrost-of-ShadowClan"- Since when were kits supposed to read rated T books?! (No, I'm just kidding... actually not really)**

**"rainpool77"- Well, for cats, as in all animals, it is an instinctive reaction to hormones, so I'm not too far off base...**

**"pianodevotion"- ugh, I know, I got weird real quick... but this is supposed to be a more grown-up book than the canon series!**

**Cindermoon2002- I'm confuzzled too! and I actually meant to take out that part, but *sigh* I was too lazy to re-write it.**

**AEIOU- speculation is always fun :) and yeah, there is a T+ for like 16 age people and up. But that should have been the end of such things.**

**Lazy Watermelon- Yeah... we shall have no more of that! it was just important for Shadowfern's character... I think**

**Scarred Muzzle- Thanks!**

**Dawnfeather- Thank you! figuring things out is always good.**

**ShadowHawk540- Nah, Braveheart is a little too predictable, besides, wasn't that the name of a carebear way back when?**

**"Stormwatcher"- Don't worry, I hate repetition too, except, as you probably noticed, forbidden relationships. I don't know, they are just more interesting.**

**"Tawnystar of HiddenClan"- Okay! not giving anything away ;)**

**Mouseydragonwolf- Nice to see you again anyways! even though I agree homework is stupid.**

**Angelflight- Yeah, just a little weird, and I can't comment on the other stuff, don't want to give anything away! (Though I realize I suck at that)**

**avery- thank brah**

**Nyankitty22- Yeah, but it is a rated T story so I am allowed to be suggestive... not that I like doing it very much, just at certain moments. **

**Opal090- Who said anything about becoming pregnant? and I'll have other stories that aren't like this, its just all the stories I'm writing now I thought up while I was a little obsessed with forbidden relationships -_- sorry.**

**Chapter 13**

Twin blue eyes shone like stars as they peeked at Shadowfern from a green bush. A purr and a white and gray tail flick enticed her forward and she pushed up to the prickly bush. "Where are you?" she whispered in a wondrous tone.

Then she felt paws wrap around her and she was pulled in and thrust on the ground. Fear replaced her love and she felt warm paws clasp her sides and teeth gripped her scruff, making her freeze by instinct. Then she saw the eyes in front of her, and she wondered how she could feel some cat on her while staring at his eyes.

How could they be so lovely? So loving? While at the same time betraying her trust and using her? Shadowfern felt a surge of misery as the conflicting emotions battled in her. "Are you ready?" the whisper almost made her believe that what he was doing wasn't wrong.

Fury and fear surged through her, "No!" she shrieked, batting at him with her paws in front of her, but nothing deterred him and she felt him wreathe all around her, holding her down in a fog. "No…" now she was begging in a pitiful whimper, conflicting feelings of right and wrong rushed over her and seemed to scrape away the last bit of control shed felt.

Shadowfern jerked awake, paws scrambling her moss and feather nest. She sat bolt upright, gasping in breathes and breathing out shakily, her flanks heaving. She fell back down, feeling utterly exhausted. She closed her eyes as she laid her chin on her leg that hung over the edge of her nest, puffing out her breath so that it shook her whiskers.

"Mmm…" Rivertail rolled over and his leg fell over her neck. With a muffled growl and a surge of impatient annoyance, she grabbed his leg and flung it back into his nest. He snorted in his sleep and rolled back over. Rivertail still thought they were mates, but Shadowfern felt less ready than ever.

_Rivertail's so much older than me… I know he's impatient to get on with it but I'm still just the youngest warrior!_ She was only just full-grown and her experience with Cloudpatch, even if he had felt guilty about it, just made her surer that she wasn't ready.

It had been half a moon since then and she'd had nightmares about it every single night. She just couldn't take it yet. What was worse, she remembered it. Their first night she hadn't remembered, so she hadn't worried so much, but now she knew she had _allowed_ it.

The gray light signaled it was before dawn and the pattering sound of rain on leaves told her it was still drizzling. She glanced at Aspenclaw who slept in a neat little ball. He was quite handsome, but not like Cloudpatch… He just wasn't as much as a rebel that would push the limits. That's what she wanted.

Shadowfern looked at Goldenmist who was grooming her fur, getting ready for the day. Shadowfern copied her, it was the first time she'd groomed her fur in three days. After her night with Cloudpatch, a night in which she had hoped to be refreshed, she'd just earned a new worry.

But the very worst part of it all… she wanted to see him again. She never wanted to mate with him ever again, but she wanted to see him and talk to him about all the stuff she couldn't with her own Clan-mates.

Goldenmist glanced at her, "Would you mind checking on Rosering? With all this rain, I want to make sure the den isn't leaking," the deputy mewed.

Shadowfern nodded, "I'll check the elders den as well," she mewed, padding past the gold she-cat who nodded in approval. Shadowfern flattened her ears against the drizzle, though it wasn't cold, but cool, green-leaf had just arrived with many splendors she only half-remembered.

Padding to the bramble nursery, she noticed the large waxy leaves in which had once covered the nursery completely, now it had been changed so much that they only really showed on the roof. Shadowfern, thin fur failing to shed the rain or absorb it, let it trickle down through the thin fur to her skin and making her shiver at the sensation.

She poked her head in the nursery; Rosering was curled around her kits, snoring lightly. Dewkit slept on her mother's flank and Tigerkit's back paw hung out of the nest. But all seemed secure and dry so Shadowfern headed off to the elders den.

Although the elders lived in a hollow log, the empty roof was covered with gorse and ferns which often had to be patched. Shadowfern entered and saw the elders in their respective nests, snoring soundly. Though she noted that in the center there was a steady drip.

It was a small fix so Shadowfern grabbed a paw-full of grass and leaves and stuffed it into the hole, stubbing the drip and then she rubbed her muddy paws on the green grass. For one desperate moment she wanted to talk to Foxtail about Cloudpatch, he had been with Sootstar, after all, how harsh could he blame her?

Then she remembered the anger in his eyes as he caught Sootstar looking at him. He obviously felt that it had been a mistake and wasn't likely to sympathize. She sighed; this was something she had to figure out by herself.

She padded out and sloshed through the muddy clearing to Goldenmist who was sitting in the shelter of Highrock. "The nursery was secure and the elders den only had a little leak which I already fixed," Shadowfern mewed.

Goldenmist nodded, "I sent out the Dawn Patrol, but could you go with Whitepaw to fetch herbs? He's going to Sunningrocks and with this rain it may be flooded," the deputy asked.

Shadowfern nodded, although she doubted the river would be flooded, it had only started raining last evening, and it was only drizzling now. The sky was covered in gray clouds and the light from the sunrise filtered gray and dim though, she maybe in a while it'd be flowing high.

But Shadowfern caught sight of her brother heading to the entrance, his gray and white tabby pelt was splashed with mud and he looked tired. Shadowfern felt a rush of pity; here she was, making herself miserable over her relationships, while her brother struggled to please his mentor just to earn his name.

Shadowfern caught up to him and dipped her head shyly as he acknowledged her presence with an ear flick. "I need to collect chervil, the roots will be easy to collect in the rain," Whitepaw mewed briskly as they leaped up the ravine and headed out into the forest.

Shadowfern didn't speak as they padded through the forest; she remembered how he'd rubbed off her interpretation of the prophecy after she'd spent so much time thinking about it. She turned her head away as he looked at her and she put another space in between them and didn't meet his glances.

They came near Sunningrocks and Shadowfern stared at the gray rocks. She'd been told they belonged to ThunderClan and were good use for hunting, but she'd never laid a paw on them, and she didn't really like being so close to the river.

Whitepaw went towards a patch of herbs she didn't recognize and Shadowfern eyed the river. It was rushing faster than usual but was still gray-blue and lower than in leaf-bare. She flicked rain from her ears and looked down in a shallow pool that had accumulated.

She looked even worse then she had before the gathering half a moon ago. She really looked like skin stretched over bones, no muscle. Her fur was torn and falling out while it looked as thin and dry as dead grass. No wonder it wasn't protecting her from the rain.

She glanced up at Whitepaw, his smooth gray and white fur shed the rain like their mother. It was a full pelt and he looked round from the abundance of prey. He was also four mouse-lengths taller and she felt like she had shrunk while he had grown and he looked strong, especially for a medicine-cat.

Shadowfern turned her head away miserably, how had she allowed this to happen to her? She was the one who controlled her emotions! Who never let anything get to her, who was cool and in control, and that looked for justice and held her tongue.

But what was the solution to this? She couldn't erase her night with Cloudpatch, and she'd tried more than a few times to get Rivertail and Aspenclaw to leave her alone. She wondered how her mother had handled it, having three mates. Which one had she loved the most? Why had she left one mate for another?

Shadowfern tried to imagine herself in the future, a litter of kits, who was the father? She could tell that she wasn't expecting kits from her night with Cloudpatch, but could she go back to him? Honestly, she knew she loved him more than Rivertail or Aspenclaw, he just fit better… as long as he could control himself.

But there was another question; did she even need a mate? She knew most she-cats ended up having a litter of kits sometime in their life if they lived to be elders, but having a mate could wait until after the prophecy at least…

Now she was back at the start, how to make it stop? She just didn't know. She sighed, she couldn't let this go on, but she felt so lost…

"Hey! Are we going or not?" the impatient voice of her brother broke through her worries and she jumped, standing on toes and spine arched.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Shadowfern mewed in embarrassment, ears flicking back. Whitepaw studied her quizzically, jaws full of knobby roots and rain dripping off his whiskers.

Again, she felt shabby by comparison with mud staining her black fur and her fur clinging to her scrawny figure. Shadowfern padded with him back into the forest where there was some relief from the dismal drizzling. Whitepaw glanced at her as she slipped into a deep muddy pool and brown water splashed up against her front legs and chest.

"You know, you should watch where you place your paws," Whitepaw mumbled, watching her intensely.

Shadowfern just shrugged, hardly able to put thought into the insult.

"Okay, come over here," Whitepaw's angry voice made Shadowfern flinch. Whitepaw went to a clean patch of grass and sat down, placing the roots down.

Shadowfern didn't follow. "Let's keep going, the rain is getting heavier," she complained, shivering a little as more cool rain trickled down her neck.

Whitepaw glared at her, "You brought this on yourself, come sit down," he ordered. Shadowfern laminated ignoring him and continuing on. But then she would get in trouble since she was supposed to accompany him and he wouldn't leave until she did as he asked.

With an exaggerated sigh, she sauntered over to sit by him and shivered in her thin fur, waiting for him to rant about what was annoying him. "Look what you've done to yourself! You're thinner than you were in leaf-bare and your fur wouldn't be able to line a nest!" Whitepaw burst out, clawing the wet grass.

Shadowfern looked away, feeling guilt hammer her, but she hadn't yet lost her pride. "You're making yourself sick and hardly catching anything on patrols, the Clan can't afford to care for a young cat that is miserable just because she can't make up her mind!" Whitepaw's voice was disgusted and his blue eyes were hot.

Shadowfern felt a lump in her throat and she had to swallow it back. "Why haven't you made a decision? Just pick Rivertail or Aspenclaw already!" Whitepaw burst out. _Or Cloudpatch, _she added silently.

"But… I just don't know!" she cried. Whitepaw clouted her ear and she shrunk away.

"See?! The Shadowfern I knew would have spat back a curse or given as good as she got, you're losing yourself. And if you have to break one or both their hearts, than they will know it was so you could be yourself," Whitepaw mewed, his voice becoming more calm.

Shadowfern shook her head and studied her paws. "But what if I've already made a mistake? And I don't know how to fix it…" she murmured.

Whitepaw met her gaze with a steady look. "Then you have to face the consequences and go on with life, it won't wait for you," Whitepaw mewed and Shadowfern flinched. She'd wasted almost three and a half-moons on this, three moons she might not get to live if her friends or Clan-mates were to die.

Shadowfern straightened up and nodded to herself. She couldn't wallow anymore, she had to make her decisions and live them out. She couldn't change what she'd done with Cloudpatch and the consequences had been she wasn't ready for that; she had to learn and move forward.

She stood up and nodded curtly at Whitepaw, feeling more in control then she had for moons. "Come on, back to camp before we drown sitting out here like fools," she mewed, leading Whitepaw toward camp while her brother purred in quiet satisfaction.

Once back at camp, she said goodbye to Whitepaw and didn't waste any time in rounding up Rivertail and Aspenclaw. She brought them to the nettle patch and faced them calmly as they looked at her with hopefulness in their eyes.

She felt a pang of hesitation, but pushed it away, if they hadn't pressured her she wouldn't have had to do this. "Rivertail, Aspenclaw, I need you to understand I don't love either of you, I don't want you as a mate, I don't want kits, and I don't want a family. Not now," she mewed, voice hard and flinty.

Rivertail's face fell and he stared at her beseechingly. Aspenclaw looked angry, "How do you know what's good for you or not?" he growled.

Shadowfern faced him coldly, "Look at me, do I look okay to you? I can't do this at the moment, maybe when I'm older, but I can't handle it now and I have more important things to do than worry about your feelings," she mewed, looking at both of them.

Rivertail looked sad but resigned, as if he had been expecting something like this. Aspenclaw stomped away angrily, looking as hot-headed as he had when siding with Brightslash. Rivertail murmured a few words, saying that if she ever felt ready, he would be there, then left.

Shadowfern watched disappear into the rain that came hissing down in thick gray sheets. She felt a faint pang in her chest, but it was far outweighed by the relief that suddenly swallowed her as if she had woken up from a nightmare and had learned she could live her life without such worries.

**…**

By the next day, the rain had stopped and the sun struggled to peak out through the dappled gray clouds. Shadowfern sat with Crystalheart, basking in the faint light and eating a plump squirrel.

"So then this rogue, about the age of a new warrior, comes up to me and tries to take my food. Well, I bet he didn't think such a young cat could fight for herself, but I scratched his nose right open and after a look at my claws he took off, never saw him again," Crystalheart purred, swiping at the air with unsheathed claws.

Shadowfern tilted her head to the side; Crystalheart seemed to change when she talked about her past as a rogue… She seemed more edgy and real… not so much a dreamer. "Wouldn't being leader be great?" Crystalheart asked in a low tone as she watched Stormstar pad away from the nursery where she had been visiting Rosering.

Shadowfern felt surge of unease as she remembered the prophecy and her interpretation. "Do you really want so much power?" she asked hesitantly.

Crystalheart cocked her head to one side, "It's not so much the power, but the leadership. I'd love to be able to inspire cats and lead the cats in my own decisions," Crystalheart sighed, her eyes wistful and dreamy once more.

Shadowfern nodded to herself; that was more like Crystalheart. She wasn't ambitious, but she had big ideas and wanted to carry them out. Shadowfern glanced over at Rockpaw who was running through newly learned battle skills with Nightpaw. His determined green eyes went with him as he tripped his sister and pinned her, triumph sparkling as he crowed victory.

He certainly had ambition and skill, but the death of Adderfang had put a damper on his good nature and he was more blunt and negative. Not that he was malicious, but he was just less of a happy or friendly cat…

Shadowfern sat up and stretched. "Thanks for sharing with me, it was nice to do that again," she mewed sheepishly.

Crystalheart purred loudly and stood up, nudging her shoulder friendly. "I was starting to think I'd have to get Softberry to make you to care for yourself. I'm happy that you're back," Crystalheart added, padding away with a wave of her tail.

Shadowfern nodded and padded over to Goldenmist who was organizing two more hunting patrol for after sun-high. She wanted to get out and strengthen herself. "Do you need me for anything?" she asked.

Goldenmist glanced at her, "Yes, could you join Mossleaf's hunting patrol? They're gathering over by the entrance," the deputy mewed, nodding at the tortoiseshell who was sitting with Sunstrike.

Shadowfern nodded and turned away, but Goldenmist laid her tail over her shoulder and she looked back over her shoulder. "It's nice to see you moving again," Goldenmist mewed gently.

"It's good to be working again," Shadowfern mewed, trying not to show her awkwardness.

As Shadowfern arrived at Mossleaf's patrol, Flamceclaw joined and glanced at her. "Ugh, we have to take _her_, she can hardly catch a mouse!" the annoying tom complained.

Shadowfern glared at him hotly, but held her tongue. What could she say? He was right; she hadn't been hunting well lately. _But I'll prove him wrong today,_ she vowed to herself grimly.

Mossleaf had watched them curiously but merely shrugged, her own fur was thin and she was beginning to lose muscle as she got older. Of course, that was expected, but Shadowfern was young and shouldn't have. The dark tortoiseshell led them out of camp and toward Snakerocks, but stopped at the stream beyond the rocks.

Shadowfern groaned to herself, why did she always end up here? She grumbled as Mossleaf paired her and Flameclaw together. The orange tom led her across the stream and up the low slope that would encounter the ShadowClan border.

"We can't hunt so close to the border," she complained.

Flameclaw glanced at her with sharp annoyance, "Maybe _you_ can't, just stand guard while I hunt. I don't want you getting in my way," he mewed.

Shadowfern glared at him, "I'm just as good as a hunter as you, and just as strong," she snapped. Suddenly Flameclaw had jumped on her and she toppled backward, lighter than a bunch of twigs and she battered at Flameclaw but his sheathed paws held her down.

"Just as strong, eh? I don't think so," he snarled. "Now stand guard," he ordered. Shadowfern huffed angrily, but sat down, feeling miserable that she had allowed him to beat her. _Why did I ever get so caught up in something so ridiculous?_

"Hello Shadowfern," the voice sounded so familiar, but it was strained and guilty. She felt a lump in her throat and could hardly turn to look at Cloudpatch whom she knew was standing at the border.

But she did, after what they had done, Shadowfern felt like she could never escape him. She turned her head and saw him; she was shocked by how bad he looked, though nowhere close to her. His fur was unkempt and his eyes dull from tiredness.

"H-how are you doing?" she asked in a tiny voice, staring at her own paws.

"I-I've been looking for you," Cloudpatch answered, his own gaze dropping.

"Really? W-why?" Shadowfern stuttered as her mouth went dry, she could feel him so well, up until the last thing she had felt like she'd known him completely, now she wasn't so sure.

"I wanted to apologize to you, I-I know what I did was wrong, and I didn't think of what you wanted, just what I wanted. I promise I'll never do it again, not unless you ask me to," Cloudpatch mewed, finally raising his gaze to hers and she looked deep into his eyes and found she trusted him.

"Thank you," she purred lightly, feeling better to know that he regretted it.

Cloudpatch's eyes lit up, "Shadowfern… I know you probably don't want to meet again… but I kind of ruined our last meeting, can we try again?" he asked quietly, eyes pleading.

Shadowfern hesitated before nodding. "One more try, but that's it," she mewed in finality.

Cloudpatch nodded, tail curling behind his back, "I'll be here at moonhigh," he mewed, and then quickly disappeared into the dark pines.

Shadowfern figured she ought to hunt and catch something. She tasted the air and thanked StarClan when she picked up the fresh scent of mouse, a quick and easy trail that led to an easy kill. Burying her prey, she sniffed the air for more and scented a squirrel, a more difficult piece of prey.

She tracked it to a corpse of beech trees by the stream, the ground was usually dusty, but now it was muddy. She spotted a flash of orange and a snapped twig followed by an annoyed growl. The squirrel, a fluffy gray one, raced away and Shadowfern jumped to intercept it, crushing it beneath her bony paws. She felt a pang of sadness that they weren't wide and fluffy anymore.

"Mm, good catch," Flameclaw mewed grudgingly, padding up.

Shadowfern accepted his approval with a twitch of her ears. "Though I sent it toward you," Flameclaw added as she padded away. Shadowfern laughed to herself, he just couldn't give her anything.

But when she had collected her mouse and headed down to meet Mossleaf, she couldn't help purring that Flameclaw only had a sparrow while she had a mouse and a squirrel. She didn't say anything as they headed back to camp, but Flameclaw didn't say another thing the rest of the evening.

**…**

Later that evening, Shadowfern took a quick nap around dusk and woke up long enough to eat a late meal with Nightpaw who had gone on Dusk Patrol. "Crystalheart says that I'll be having my warrior assessment in about a moon, do you think I'm ready?" Nightpaw asked between licks as she groomed her fur.

Shadowfern nodded, looking at her own fur which she had groomed. It still looked thin and ragged, but not as lifeless. Maybe it was just her imagination, maybe not. "I think you'll be ready, you're a great hunter and your fighting skills are coming along nicely," Shadowfern answered truthfully.

Nightpaw purred, "Thanks," then she yawned, "I think I'm going to me nest, I've got to be up early tomorrow," the apprentice announced.

"Goodnight," Shadowfern mewed, looking at the dark shadows filling the camp as the last bit of blue sky faded.

"Are you going to sleep too?" Nightpaw asked, hesitating for a moment.

"Soon," Shadowfern promised, the lie didn't matter to her as she sat eyeing the glittering stars. Nightpaw shrugged and headed off to the apprentices den. Shadowfern realized the apprentice was almost as large as her. _I definitely haven't grown like I should._

Shadowfern stood and stretched her legs before heading toward the entrance. "Robinspot? You don't mind if I go on a walk, do you?" she asked the she-cat who was sitting guard.

Robinspot hesitated for a moment, "Okay, but be back before long," Robinspot mewed. Shadowfern nodded and slipped past the red-brown she-cat. She leaped up the ravine, starlight sparkling on the rock, and headed down the quickest route to the ShadowClan border.

Cloudpatch was already there, even though it wasn't quite moonhigh. "You came," Cloudpatch's mew was relieved but he looked nervous. He started to step over the border, but Shadowfern held up her tail for him to stop.

"Let's stay on our own borders for tonight, we can talk over the border," Shadowfern suggested, strolling down the border. Cloudpatch nodded, though he looked uncertain as they kept a tail-length between them.

"What's it like living in ShadowClan?" Shadowfern asked after a bit of silence.

Cloudpatch frowned, "Well, I don't think it's much different from the other Clans. We have hunting and border patrols and we train our apprentices and follow the warrior-code. I think the only difference is that we often have night patrols and night training," Cloudpatch mewed.

Shadowfern stiffened, "Night patrols?" she asked in a taunt voice.

"Oh, just hunting patrols at night, we only patrol during the day like the other Clans," Cloudpatch explained quickly.

"But some cat may hunt by the border…" Shadowfern muttered.

"No, we hunt mostly in the swamps; this is too far away to hunt at night. We really only have this to get to the gathering on our territory," Cloudpatch mewed.

"Pff…"

"What?" Cloudpatch asked.

"It seems like a waste, all that hunting ground," Shadowfern mewed.

Cloudpatch shrugged, "The Clans aren't starving, I think it's alright," he smirked.

Shadowfern purred faintly, looking around at the silver stained green forest. "It's so beautiful," she mewed.

Cloudpatch nodded, he had relaxed as they walked. "I thought this would be lame-"

"Thanks," Shadowfern mewed wryly.

"But it's actually very nice, not having any pressure, just talking," Cloudpatch nodded to himself.

Shadowfern pricked her ears, hearing only the treading of their paws and the faint hooting of an owl and the soft rustlings of grass as they brushed through the still forest. "Do you want to race to that ash?" she asked, pointing at the ghastly old, broken tree in between their territories that she could just barely spy. Part of her wanted to show-off, the other part wanted to see if she was as strong as she'd once been.

Cloudpatch nodded and they took off. Cloudpatch, on his part, was fast and barely deterred by the dark. But Shadowfern hadn't lost her skill of racing and she hardly had to think to avoid placing her paws in holes or ducking to avoid a low branch from a bush.

But she was definitely slower as she raced, legs burning with effort in what had once been effortless and her lungs gulped in air. Then she broke through the pain and her heart beat fast and her paws flashed faster as she jumped past Cloudpatch and raked her claws down the ash, spinning around the ancient bark and waiting three moments for Cloudpatch to catch up.

"Wow!" he panted, falling on his back. "You were really fast!" he purred.

Shadowfern purred back and fell on him, their bellies pressing together and she stared into his eyes. "You weren't too bad yourself," she praised, though she was happy that she still had her speed, even if her stamina wasn't what had once been.

Cloudpatch licked her ear and she didn't flinch away but licked his cheek with a small purr and her eyes half-closed in warm content. He wrapped his strong, warm legs around her neck and pulled her next to him so they could stare in each other's eyes.

Shadowfern felt a warm tingle and she didn't want to break away, so she laid still and happy as he slowly licked her face with long, slow strokes. She felt like a kit, being loved by her mother. Except this was better, different, but much better.

Cloudpatch pulled her closer and their chests were pressed against each other and Shadowfern's head fit so nicely into the crook of his neck. She laid, comfortable, warm, loved, with Cloudpatch's legs wrapped around her shoulders and his chin resting lightly on her head.

Then he pulled away and she was partly disappointed. He had just found what she wanted, not mating, but loving. "I told the guard I wouldn't be out long, I'll be in trouble if I don't get back soon," Cloudpatch explained apologetically.

Shadowfern nodded and they stood, hesitant to be the first to leave. "W-would you meet me tomorrow?" Cloudpatch asked.

Shadowfern shook her head and Cloudpatch looked crestfallen. "I'll meet you in two nights here, but I can't come out every night," Shadowfern mewed firmly.

Cloudpatch brightened up and he nodded, "Good idea, will we meet in the usual place?" he asked.

Shadowfern nodded. Cloudpatch quickly stepped forward to touch noses with her and give her a quick, affectionate lick. "I'm glad you forgave my stupidity," he purred quietly, turning away.

Shadowfern watched him with happily narrowed eyes. "Well, I can only forgive a certain few cats stupidity."

.**...**

**Better or not? I think this was better, more child-friendly for all the tweens possibly reading this. (I dunno who reads my excess imagination) Next chapter... I actually have no idea, so it might be three days, it might be a week, who knows? I've lost all sense of a schedule, just couldn't keep up with it and school. **

**Please Review!**


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